By Dave Stewart
MaxPreps.com
NEW CANAAN, Conn. - Kelly Warlich and the New Canaan Rams had seen their world collapsing around them before the senior sharp-shooter ended up with a clear shot at the hoop with less than a minute remaining in last Friday’s girls basketball game with the Ridgefield Tigers.
New Canaan once had a commanding lead of 43-30 late in the third quarter, against a Ridgefield team it had never beaten, but the Tigers, using a stifling press which forced numerous turnovers in the fourth quarter, had gone on a 17-4 run to tie the game at 47-47.
Then a loose ball bounded out to Warlich beyond the 3-point arc and the senior made a quick decision.
“I didn’t see anyone coming at me so I thought I should just take it and, hopefully if I miss, someone better get the rebound,” Warlich smiled.
A rebound wasn’t needed after all, as Warlich drained the shot, buoying the Rams’ spirits and putting a dagger in the hearts of the Tigers. Neither team would score again as New Canaan escaped with a dramatic 50-47 victory in its home gymnasium.
“If we had to go into overtime, it would have been really disappointing because we had been up by so much at the half and we were playing really well,” Warlich said. “Then we started turning it over and they got back in the game. Hitting that shot was a big boost and we were able to play really well together at the end.”
“I told her 'That’s a senior shot’ and that’s what we need out of our seniors,” NCHS head coach Brett Gillan said. “Kelly’s got the experience of playing three years and it all came to her. It wasn’t her best shot to take because her feet weren’t really balanced and all that, but if you want to be successful, you need a senior to make that shot and she came up big.”
The victory was New Canaan’s biggest during the past half-decade and Warlich’s shot was the program’s most important in a long time.
With the win against a perennial FCIAC playoff contender, the Rams not only proved they can beat the best, they improved to a remarkable 9-2 during what has been a magical season thus far.
With nine games remaining, the Rams are fourth in the FCIAC and are in position to not only qualify for the conference tournament, but host a game as well.
Not bad for a team which had won a total of 22 games during the past five years. The Rams have already secured their first state tournament berth since the 2002-03 season, and are on pace to have their first winning season since 2001-02.
Gillan, who has been the team’s head coach for five years and was an assistant prior to taking over in 2004, is having a blast with a club which is deep, multifaceted and, at long last, a contender.
“I can’t even begin to explain how it feels to get to the state tournament,” Gillan said. “When we started this whole thing five years ago, it’s been our goal every year and to realize this soon and see how the girls came together is awesome. They’re psyched and I’m psyched.
“They really do believe in themselves more,” the coach said. “In the past, they would think that it’s hard to believe something good could happen. Once they got a little taste of playing as a team and winning, they fed off of that momentum and they are constantly improving on that.”
“It feels really good to finally make states for everyone,” freshman point guard Sarah Mannelly. “We’re not going into games scared anymore. We’re going to go in thinking we can win the game. If we put in a good effort and play well, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
The Rams had an advantage coming into the season with five returning seniors, including three — captain Alex Lysenko, Warlich and Kristin Gutierrez — who had seen significant playing time in recent years.
Warlich is the Rams’ leading scorer with a 14.6 points per game average. She has scored in double digits in 10 of the first 11 games, including a season-best 21 against Harding. Warlich also leads the team with eight blocks, is second with 23 steals and fourth with 36 rebounds.
Gutierrez is New Canaan’s main inside threat, but she’s also developed a nice shooting touch from the outside. She’s averaging 12.8 points per game to go along with 25 rebounds and five blocks.
Lysenko has been with the varsity team for four years and has gotten good minutes since she was a sophomore. She’s third on the team with 44 rebounds and is averaging 5.4 points per game.
“She’s a great kid and an incredibly hard worker,” Gillan said of Lysenko. “She has grown as a basketball player over the years and she’s a great example for her classmates in terms of how to play every day and how to be a teammate every day. She’s really a natural leader that way and that’s why we chose her as captain.”
The Rams’ biggest addition by far has been the freshman Mannelly, who has joined with junior point guard Kacey Pippitt to provide the sparks for Mannelly is quick with the ball, has great vision on the floor and has a knack for making things happen from the point.
Though just a freshman, Mannelly isn’t afraid of the spotlight, and she earned MVP honors at this year’s LaVista Tournament, after New Canaan beat Greenwich 58-45 in the championship game.
“Sarah’s a real nice player from what we’ve seen,” Gillan said during the preseason. “She’s a freshman and we don’t want to put too much on her right away, but she’s responded to everything we’ve asked of her so far. The older kids have embraced her and brought her in, so she’s a great piece to the puzzle. She does need people to pass the ball to, and it’ll be a team effort to make our goals happen.”
Mannelly is averaging 12.8 points per game, including a 31-point performance in a 62-51 win at Greenwich, a victory which clinched a state playoff berth. Mannelly leads the team with 54 assists and 31 steals, and is second with 46 rebounds and six blocks.
Pippitt, a returning varsity starter, leads the Rams with 48 rebounds, is second with 37 assists, and also has 17 steals and a 6.1 points per game average.
“She brings an intensity that’s really hard to match,” Gillan said of Pippitt. “She gets all the engines firing and it’s really hard to match. When she plays that way, she becomes one of the best players on the court for either team. That soccer and lacrosse mentality comes across and she’s able to make a lot of good things happen.”
Seniors Hailey Dray and Maddie Burke, and sophomore Melissa Tweed have provided some added pop off the bench.
The diversity of options has proved difficult to contend with, and has made stars of different players on different nights in New Canaan.
“We have people who score a lot of points, but everyone usually gets their chance at taking their shots and making big plays,” Lysenko said. “The points are usually spread out among everyone and that’s been good for us.
“It’s so exciting. I’m looking forward to each game.”
Eight wins was the Rams’ aim when the season began, but having reached that number so quickly, the focus has shifted to loftier goals — reaching the FCIAC tournament, hosting postseason games, and of course, some victories in the playoffs.
New Canaan will certainly add to its win total during the next few weeks. In the final nine games, the Rams will face four teams with sub-.500 records, including Bassick (0-11), McMahon (1-9), Central (3-7) and Westhill (4-7). Victories in those contests would give New Canaan at least a 13-7 record by season’s end.
This week will be an interesting challenge as the Rams play road games at Trinity (7-4) and St. Joseph (6-4), with a home showdown against undefeated Fairfield-Warde (11-0) on tap for Friday, January 30. Also on the slate are February home games against Trumbull (7-4) and Danbury (9-2).
However the story progresses, the season has brought about a remarkable change for a program which was down in the dumps for a while.
“Individually and with the team, we’ve changed our attitude,” Kelly Warlich said. “Last year, during the preseason, we felt like we were going to lose and that hurt us. But this year, especially the five seniors — we wanted to make this a good season for our last year. We’ve been playing together since the sixth grade so we know what we can do. This is our last shot and we might as well go in 100 percent.”
Dave Stewart, the Sports Editor of the New Canaan (Conn.) Advertiser, is a MaxPreps.com writer and photographer. He may be reached at 203-966-9541 or at sports@ncadvertiser.com