Before taking over at New London this season, Holly Misto coached girls’ basketball at Westerly High School for the last nine years, where the Bulldogs abided by Rhode Island’s 30-second shot clock.

Which meant that New London’s 53-42 loss to Norwich Free Academy on Jan. 21, in which NFA began holding the ball with 5 minutes, 11 seconds remaining and a five-point lead, most likely wasn’t Misto’s favorite.

Knowing it needed to score quickly and take advantage of every possession, New London turned the ball over seven times down the stretch, losing a matchup between two teams ranked in the New Haven Register’s Top 10 poll. NFA is currently ranked fifth in the state, with New London ninth.

“It’s just a different strategy, that’s all,” said Misto of Connecticut’s lack of a shot clock.

Misto, however, picked her words carefully, going so far as to compliment NFA for its defense and its overall game management in the fourth quarter.

“To do that you have to be able to take care of the ball,” Misto said. “When you can do that as well as they did, it’s a good plan.”

Up 44-39 with 5:11 to play, NFA held the ball until there was 3:43 remaining before New London called a timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, though, New London fouled NFA’s trusty sophomore, Hailey Conley, and Conley hit both ends of a one-and-one to push the lead to seven. New London then turned the ball over. The Whalers played out the fourth quarter without ever making another field goal.

NFA coach Bill Scarlata, for the record, said he wishes there was a shot clock in Connecticut, too. Only eight states mandate them. He said he was simply looking for a matchup against New London’s defense that the Wildcats could exploit.

“That wasn’t a stall,” Scarlata said. “(Stalling) doesn’t work that well.”

And more

New London (12-2 overall, 5-0 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division, is scheduled to play Stonington (12-2, 5-1) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Stonington in a first-place matchup which should feature no stalling, as both teams like to force the tempo. New London and Stonington have combined to score 65 or more points 10 times this season, with Stonington scoring 70 or more in three of its last five games. New London won the last game between the two 50-48 on Dec. 23. Stonington, meanwhile, has two players nearing the 1,000-point plateau for their careers in senior Margot Calmar (982) and junior Taty LaFrance Boyce (981).

... One more milestone: Scarlata, in his 23rd season as NFA’s coach, needs just one win for the 500th of his career. The Wildcats (14-1) are scheduled to play at home Tuesday against Ledyard, with Scarlata’s record standing at 499-79. Scarlata has seven Class LL state championships to his credit, including four perfect 27-0 seasons.