Norwich — Cebria Outlow wasn’t happy that she and her Norwich Free Academy teammates lost to state girls’ basketball machine Mercy on Thursday, 51-43.

Outlow was displeased that she was somehow called for her fifth foul with over six minutes left in the game.

She was able to see the bigger picture for NFA, though. The Wildcats, ranked fourth in the state poll, played yet another game against a Connecticut power and they gave it their best effort.

“I would grade (our effort) an 8 (out of 10),” Outlow said. “I’m a very hard grader when it comes to things like that, but overall, my girls all put in effort. We all tried really hard. We prepared for this and we just fell a little short.”

“That’s why my athletic director (Eric Swallow) and my coach (Bill Scarlata) picked up the games that they did, and I’m grateful for it.”

Imagine that: an Eastern Connecticut Conference team that’s both willing to play the best and actually sought those teams out. The Wildcats (7-3) loaded their nonconference schedule this season with games against defending Class LL champion Wilton, FCIAC champion Ridgefield and Fairfield Warde, ranked seventh in the New Haven Register Top 10 poll. They also have a home-and-home series against ninth-ranked South Windsor, the two-time LL runner-up ... and played a game No. 3 New London, a fellow member of the ECC.

“Isn’t that how you get better?” Scarlata asked. “You don’t get better by beating up teams that you’re supposed to beat all the time. You have to go out and play against teams that have as much talent or more talent and show what you’re made of, and tonight, I think we did that. I really do, so I’m happy.”

Outlow said: “I understand that you think you’re a smaller school and that you don’t want to play the bigger schools, but you have to challenge yourself because you’re not going to get better unless you do.”

There are certainly folks around these parts who would counter that NFA should play good teams all the time because they’re the biggest, baddest team around. The thing is that NFA didn’t just load up on fellow Class LL schools. They sought out the best of the best.

“Our schedule is amazing,” Outlow said. “It’s hard, but that’s what my team needs because I’m going to college (Central Connecticut) for basketball, so I need this competition now. I need to be exposed to it. My whole team plans on going somewhere to play basketball; this is the competition that’s needed.”

Mercy coach Tim Kohs can attest to the value of a tough schedule. His second-ranked Tigers played state uber-power Capital Prep on Monday in a nonconference game for the second year in a row.

“NFA and Capital Prep, I’ll sign up to play them four times a year if they allowed it,” Kohs said. “We learned a lot this week, without question. (NFA is) a really talented team. I know Outlow is not at 100 percent, but she’s a pretty good player at whatever percent she was at.”

Meghan DeVille had 17 points for Mercy (12-1) and Bella Santoro scored 10.

Hailey Conley had a team-high 21 points for NFA. That included the Wildcats’ final seven points to close their deficit to 49-43 after Outlow fouled out.

Outlow scored 14. She sat out Tuesday’s loss against Bacon Academy because she tweaked her knee. She picked up her fourth foul with the game tied at 32 with over three minutes left in the third quarter and went to the bench.

Mercy went on a 7-0 run with Outlow out and never trailed again.

“You know what, (some ECC schools will) have a better record than we will since they’re not in LL,” Scarlata said. “They may even make it farther in the state tournament than we will, but we’ll be better off for it in the long run.”

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED