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Every player on the New Canaan High School girls basketball team looked stunned as the final seconds ticked away in the second round game of the CIAC Class L state tournament. The sixth-ranked Rams, 15-5 and runners-up in the FCIAC playoffs, could not buy a basket in the fourth quarter. Shot after shot clanked off the rim or sailed wide. Regional Hebron, Andover and Marlborough High School outscored New Canaan, 19-4, in the final frame to upset the Rams, 48-36, on their home court.
"We battled through the bumps all season, but unfortunately we got lost in the fourth quarter," New Canaan head coach Kim Palmer said. "It didn't go our way, but I'm so proud of these girls performed all season."
New Canaan held a slim three-point lead entering the fourth in what had been a back-and-forth contest. But RHAM surprised the Rams with an aggressive defense not displayed earlier in the game. Caught off balance, New Canaan could not find the lanes to drive to the basket. Three-point attempts fell short or went wild.
"Basketball is a really long season, and the last quarter is all about heart. We just didn't have it," Rams senior Christina Loop said. "[RHAM was] more intense on defense than they had been, and we just got flustered."
RHAM double-covered New Canaan's season scoring leader Sarah Mannelly all night. Mannelly had been able to shake that coverage in the past but not Thursday night. She was held without a point in the fourth quarter.
When the game was out of reach, Palmer substituted the team's two seniors, Loop and Melissa Tweed. The bench and the home crowd gave the graduating players a standing ovation. Loop led the team with 12 points and six rebounds. Mannelly netted 10 points, four boards, and seven assists, but was only four-for-16 from the field.
New Canaan finishes the year at 15-6. There is reason for optimism, as the Rams' roster will remain largely intact next season.
Do you think the New Canaan girls will have an even better season in 2011-12? Start the discussion below!
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