Repeat performance for NFA

Mohegan - Norwich Free Academy's Jen Escobido was about to take two free throws, her team clinging to a two-point lead in the waning seconds of Friday's CIAC Class LL title game, when coach Bill Scarlata dropped a doozie on her.

"Scar said, 'you make these two and the game is good," Escobido said. "I was like, 'oh, wonderful.' Yeah, you just have to make these two and the game is ours.

"Okay. There's 10 seconds left. No pressure."

Pressure is something NFA has become familiar with over two seasons.

Pressure is what the Wildcats got from Mercy of Middletown - and they handled it with aplomb one last time.

Escobido made the second of two free throws, and Maura Calamari just missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer as NFA won its second straight LL championship, 50-47, before 3,650 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

It was the seventh state title for the No. 3 Wildcats (25-2).

NFA struggled through the first half, then trailed 32-24 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter after going more than six minutes without a point.

Scarlata showed confidence in his team by not calling timeout.

"The kids know what to do," he said. "I don't want to give the other team (a chance) to go up eight and go to their bench and jump up-and-down and say, 'we've got them.'

"Let's just take the ball, run it down their throat and get back in it. And the kids did a great job."

Escobido said: "I think we stayed level-headed. And we knew that the momentum was going to come back our way eventually. We just needed to stick in it and keep the intensity up."

The Wildcats built a resilient streak thanks to last year's championship experience, as well as this season's tough non-league schedule. They played Class L finalist Hillhouse of New Haven and Class M champion Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport.

"We might not have even won the game," Wildcats senior Kastine Evans said about the advantage of last year's tournament run.

NFA answered with a 14-0 run that stretched across two quarters. It led, 39-32, with less than five minutes left.

The Wildcats weren't safe yet as No. 9 Mercy (19-7), as it had the entire tournament, wouldn't go away.

A 3-point play by Danielle Machold tied the game, 39-39, with 3:31 left. Even worse for NFA was that Stephanie Long, its senior point guard, fouled out on that play.

Evans, the Gatorade State Player Of the Year, took over. She made back-to-back layups to give her team a 43-39 lead with 1:40 remaining.

She scored six of her game-high 22 points in the final 1:40 and assisted on another basket. She also finished with eight rebounds.

The Wildcats never trailed again, but their hold on the game was still tenuous.

Ashley Bepko (19 points) scored on a layup with 24.6 seconds left. Evans fouled out of the game with 11.6 seconds left and put Bepko at the line.

Bepko made both her free throws to cut NFA's lead to 49-47. She then fouled Escobido on the inbounds play and fell to the floor, clutching her right knee.

Bepko had to be carried off the court, leaving the Tigers without one of their best 3-point shooters.

Escobido missed her first free throw, but made the second, to give her team a three-point lead.

NFA still had to hold its breath as Calamari shot a 3-pointer with a second left.

"(My) heart dropped," Evans said.

"It swirled around (the basket)," Escobido said. "I was like, 'oh, jeez.'"

Calamari scored 10 for Mercy.

"We had our chances," Tigers coach Tim Kohs said. "That three-ball was halfway down to tie the game and send it to overtime."

Jahira Smith had nine points and seven rebounds for NFA while Escobido added 11 points and five rebounds. Also, Rebecca Deweese had four rebounds and four steals.

"Being able to win back-to-back, two state championships, it's excellent," Evans said. "I love my team. I'm definitely going to miss them next year.

"We definitely came out and played really hard today."

n.griffen@theday.com