Southington — Tallie Williams has no trouble admitting it.

"I was scared. I won't lie," Williams, a freshman on the New London High School girls' basketball team, said of the final 1 minute, 10 seconds of Monday's Class LL state tournament semifinal against Wilbur Cross, when coach Holly Misto called on her with the game on the line.

"I didn't want to be the one that something happened."

New London was trailing in the fourth quarter when first, senior forward Xaryia Melendez fouled out with 6 minutes, 3 seconds to play. The Whalers were still playing from behind, down two, when senior guard Spencer Roman picked up her fifth foul with 1:10 to go.

Williams entered the game for the first time at the 1:10 mark.

She and fellow freshman Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick, who has started all season for the Whalers, helped make the difference.

Bland-Fitzpatrick hit the game-winning free throws with 22.8 seconds to play in what was a 51-47 victory, sending the Whalers to Saturday's Class LL state championship game against Norwalk at Mohegan Sun Arena (3 p.m.).

Williams, who played for New London's junior varsity team this season, was on the floor as the Whalers then necessitated one final defensive stop to wrap up the win.

"That was the scariest thing," Williams said. "It's not like we were up by 20. If she rebounds over me ... it was like, 'It's time for me to act like X (Melendez, a dominant frontcourt player).'"

Initial impression

Of the three kids in New London's Roman family, all of them have initials preceding their preferred names. J. Hunter Roman is named after his paternal grandfather, Juan, while D. Major Roman is the namesake of his mom's father, Dennis.

K.D. Spencer Roman, meanwhile, is the only girl in the family. She carries the legacy of both her grandmothers: Katherine, her mom's mom, and Doris, her dad's mom.

"It means a lot to me honoring my grandparents," Roman said. "They paved the way for me."

Roman, by the way, is hoping to follow both brothers to Yale. She is anxiously awaiting news of her acceptance, which is expected by March 28.

'It gives me nightmares'

Norwalk coach Ricky Fuller has been to the finals before against a member of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

Fuller was the assistant coach for Norwalk in the 1999 and 2000 Class LL state championship games against Norwich Free Academy. NFA won the title in 1999 by a margin of 64-59. Norwalk won the following year 47-45, when the games were still played at Central Connecticut State University.

"Before Mohegan Sun was even built," Fuller said with a laugh. "I've been through the hoopla. I told them, 'Take a lot of pictures. Enjoy the moment.'"

Fuller has a distinct recollection of those NFA teams, which included Krista Rappahahn, who later won four Pac-10 championships and played in four NCAA tournaments at Stanford.

"It gives me nightmares," Fuller said Wednesday during media day for the state girls' basketball finalists at the Aqua Turf Club. "(NFA's teams) were like college teams."

v.fulkerson@theday.com