Lobo loving NWC’s Run to the Sun: ‘I’m just Maeve’s mom’

With 2.1 seconds remaining and the score tied, Elizabeth Kitley took an inbounds pass, turned and calmly swished a long two-pointer to beat North Carolina at the buzzer on Feb. 23.

As her Virginia Tech teammates mobbed the 6foot-6 senior, the television camera turned to her dad in the stands. Ralph Kitley is 6-10. He played at Wake Forest. It’s hard to miss him.

“He’s just going nuts,” Rebecca Lobo said.

Ralph clasped hands with one fan. He threw his arms in the air. The camera panned to the floor and back to Ralph. He’s still yelling. He’s punching the air.

“It’s my favorite moment of the college season,” Lobo said. “It’s high school, but I’m now in a place where I can sort of relate. For them it’s their world. I think any parent can relate to that feeling.”

Welcome to the world of Rebecca Lobo, ESPN analyst and mom fan.

Maeve Rushin, the willowy daughter of a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the great sports writers of this generation, will play for Northwest Catholic in the CIAC Class S championship this weekend against Kolbe Cathedral at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Mom won a national championship with UConn and a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team. Mom never won a Massachusetts state championship Southwick.

A 6-5 budding scribe, Steve played forward for Bloomington Kennedy which made a run in the 1984 Minnesota high school tournament. Kennedy also lost in the state semifinals.

Mom and dad did not play for a state championship.

“No, they did Maeve said.

The 6-1 junior laughs. with not,”

“It’s great to be able to accomplish that as a team,” she said. “I’m so happy for our seniors.”

There was a time when Rebecca Lobo was the daughter to every mom in a UConn crazy state. She’s the mom now. She’s the fan.

“I love it and at the same time my stomach is in a knot,” Lobo said. “Sometimes it’s in a knot the entire day. It’s unlike any