Norwich

It was all there in one photo. The littlest big one saving the day again. And Peter Huoppi, our director of multimedia/genius, captured it. On Twitter, it reads, "How NFA fixes a stuck net."

It's Bill Scarlata, the NFA coach (Maya Bell calls him "Scars") and assistant Tom Pirie (Bell calls him "P-Dog") holding their resident point guard by the legs, hoisting her toward the hoop, to fix the problem. Bell, with the grin she does from habit instead of reaction, looks like she's about to dunk, actually.

She could have been up there again Friday, after her 11 points, had NFA sought to cut down the nets after its fourth straight Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament championship. Nah. Not in a seven-time state championship program. They settled for some hugs and high-fives.

The littlest big one was in the middle of it, as Maya Bell usually is. Likely with an inside joke or two. That's Maya Bell. Personality belying her stature. The kid is a hoot.

"She's fun on the court, fun off the court," Scarlata was saying about her.

Maya Bell kept her sense of humor, even back in the days as a freshman, when the point guard quit two days before practice. Suddenly, this little wwfreshman, who was signed, sealed and nearly delivered to St. Bernard a few days before school, was entrusted with the keys to the Ferrari.

Guards for NFA are a localized version of centerfield for the Yankees. A spotlight position. In the Scarlata era, we've seen Marci Glenney, Saona Chapman, Courtney Gomez, Kastine Evans and Stephanie Long go Division I. Now there was this itty bitty freshman.

"A whole lot to live up to," Bell said. "Courtney Gomez. Amazing. People all over the state talk about how well she used to deliver the ball. I'm thinking 'wow, I wish I could do that' or 'I wish people would say that about me.' … My freshman year, no freshman should be subjected to that. It was scary. Expected to bring up the ball and make decisions. It got easier. Now I just kind of go with the flow and do whatever I want."

Who knew it would end like this? Especially after it nearly began at St. Bernard.

"The day before I had to enroll, I transferred to NFA," she said. "I couldn't do it anymore. NFA has so many great opportunities, not only with basketball. Academically, too. The best of both worlds. You get to meet a lot of new kids.

"I met P-Dog (Pirie) way back in sixth grade, playing at Kelly (Middle School) with my brother. I met Kastine, Stephanie Long and Jahira (Smith) and they really got me to come to NFA."

Her name doesn't appear in the papers. She doesn't score much. She isn't expected to. Just, as Scarlata says, "find a crack and hit an open teammate."

Funny how Scarlata used the word "crack." Bell is full of them. Of the "wise" variety. She could do standup, most likely. Take, for instance, the beginning of this interview, when she was asked if she could see the end, now that it's the 18th green of her senior year.

"Sooooo sad," Maya Bell said. "You're going to make me cry. I don't want it to end. You'll never have a program like NFA. I'm going to have to get used to losing."

Zing.

"As the year goes on," Scarlata said, "it's a long season and it gets grueling. They get on my nerves and I get on theirs. It's nice to have a little comic relief."

They sure do have fun here. But then, it would be hard not to. They win a lot. The coaches bear no ego for such accomplished resumes. Bell and Cebria Outlow, apparently, do the heavy lifting, comedy division.

"It comes from my family," Bell said. "We pick on each other. It's not fun unless you say something funny. Gotta get a zing. It's the Italian in us."

Bell said she wants to play Division III college basketball, perhaps at Skidmore, Utica, Emmanuel or Western New England. They should be knocking down her door. Who wouldn't want all that personality, wrapped in a high school playing career of responsibility, accountability and knowing nothing but winning?

"Maya has handled the ball probably as well as many of them, except for Saona who is by far the best we ever had at that," Scarlata said. "She's comfortable in her own skin and knows who she is. Just a nice kid."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius