NORWICH – Since getting a scare against Oneonta about 3 1/2 weeks ago, Norwich’s level of play has risen to the level of exquisite.
The four wins ensuing an 69-62 overtime win over the Yellowjackets on Jan. 23 have come against teams with .500 or better records, the average margin of victory is 21.5 points per game, one came on the road against STAC division champion Seton Catholic Central – a club that defends its home turf like King Leonidas protected Sparta – and each of the four clubs has wilted on the offensive end in the second half.
Those four clubs are only scoring 17.5 points per contest after intermission, so tonight’s STAC semifinal playoff game opponent, Elmira Southside, may want to pile up the points early before the Norwich defense settles in.
Norwich gives up just 45.5 points a contest, tied for first among STAC teams, yet the Mark Abbott-led purple contingent faces an Elmira club that is the highest scoring team in the league.
Led by 20-point-a-game scorer Mike Backer, the Green Hornets average 70 points per game on offense, and have scored less than 60 just four times this season. The lowest was a 54-point outing in a five-point defeat to Binghamton last month. Other than a 29-point drubbing at the hands of Henninger of Syracuse early in the season, Elmira has played even its toughest opponents tight. Count a 14-point victory over a fully-stocked Vestal club as among its most impressive wins this season.
“They are a very talented offensive team with a lot of weapons,” Abbott said. “Sometimes they may sacrifice defense to get the ball back on offense.”
It’s strength versus strength, said Abbott in sizing up the contest. Norwich priortizes defense, while Southside places a premium on offense. After Backer, Isaac Yorro averages over 14 points a game, while Brad Bellinger and Brent McLaurin hover around double-digit scoring per game.
Norwich is no slouch on offense either scoring over 65 points per game. Corey Dietrich’s 13.1 points per game paces Norwich, with Vaughn Labor next at 12.0 per game. No other NHS player puts up more than the 8.8 points per game that third-leading-scorer Josh Borfitz averages. “Our offensive numbers are somewhat deceiving,” Abbott said. ‘We’ve been in a number of situations where we had large leads and scaled back. We’re most proud of our defense, the opponents’ field goal percentage is much lower than ours, and we made more free throws than the other teams have attempted. We’ve done a lot of good things, but that may not mean a lot against (Elmira Southside).”
Bellinger and McLaurin may provide the keys to the outcome. While Backer and Yarro are established scorers, Bellinger and McLaurin are terrific on the offensive boards. Abbott says his team needs to control the defensive boards, while also limiting the three-point shooting chances of Backer and Yarro. “If we play the way we are capable defensively, we should be okay,” Abbott said. “We’ll give them different looks, different types of pressure, and different players. I can’t say this with 100 percent certainty, but I don’t think they have played anyone who plays defense like we do.”
Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Norwich High School. Tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for students. The STAC finals are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21 at 8:45 p.m. at the Binghamton University Event Center.