WALLINGFORD - Kayce Madancy almost stole the show Monday night.
     On a few occasions during the Lyman Hall-Sheehan girls game, she ran to the arms of her mother Christie, who was coaching the Lady Titans, or at least trying to.
     Kayce scored big points for being cute and irresistible, but she's only 2. Her big night can afford to wait.
     On this night - and fittingly so on Senior Night at Sheehan - it belonged to the upperclassmen.
     Each team had its candidates. Sheehan center Natalie Melillo was her agile self in the post, springing for 13 points and eight rebounds before fouling out.
     Lyman Hall guard Jess Crebase found the range for three 3-pointers en route to a game-high 15 points. Yet the one that would have been a dagger, the one that would have broke a 32-32 tie with just over two minutes to go, spun into the cylinder and coldly spun out.
     That left the window of heroic opportunity open for Courtney Hatt. The Sheehan guard hadn't hit a lick from the field up until that point, but Carpe Diem doesn't calculate percentages. Seconds after Crebase's shot refused to drop, Hatt collected a pass in the right corner at the other end and swished a 3-pointer that gave Sheehan a lead it would not relinquish in a 44-36 victory.
     "It was a lucky shot," said Hatt. "I had a bad night shooting. At least I made it when it counted, right?"
     Right: It was a sweet sign-off for a fourth-year player who, along with the rest of the Sheehan seniors, never lost to Lyman Hall, just as it was a crushing coda for the other camp.
     "It's been four years; every year we didn't win," said Crebase. "I was hoping one time we'd beat them. So close, so close."
     Sometimes a game turns on just a slight rotation. Yet both Hatt and Crebase put the same spin on high school hoop careers that end this week. When contemplating what they'll miss most, there was no hesitation.
     Hatt: "The girls, the girls. There was a lot of friendship. It was so much fun."
     Crebase: "All the girls, all the fun we had. Just knowing everyone. Everyone was so close."
     Hatt's ride ends with Wednesday's game at Hamden. She'll be at Sacred Heart University next year, studying early childhood education.
     Crebase's career will continue in college. She expects to play Division III ball in Massachusetts at either Mt. Ida or Becker. Dennis Surprenant, Mt. Ida's assistant coach, was at Tuesday night's game.
     This season, Crebase was key for the Trojans. They went as she went - or didn't go. Lyman Hall stood at 4-3 when she broke her nose in late December. She missed several games and was ineffective when she first returned.
     "I thought our season kind of fell apart when she got hurt," said Lyman Hall coach Tom Lipka. "There was a four-five game stretch where we didn't have her or she wasn't at 100 percent."
     Crebase underwent a surgical procedure to re-set her nose - it was broken in two places - and initially returned wearing a mask. It was awkward, however, and affected her peripheral vision. After a few games the mask was off.
     And off went Crebase. She was hot down the stretch. Her 15 points Tuesday gave her an even 200 for the season. Her 35 3-pointers are the best in the area.
     Hatt averaged just under six points for the Titans while nailing 17 treys. This season will be the first she and the Titans won't be going on to the postseason.
     "It was crazy; it was up and down," Hatt said of Sheehan's 6-13 season. "It's disappointing, but you've jut got to play every game and look for the positives."
     "I would say it's been a fairly consistent season for her," said Madancy. "She had a couple big nights as far as scoring, but she's been consistent. She hits the big three when you need it."
     On Tuesday, Sheehan needed - and got - a tip of the Hatt.