Saints oust Norwich from Class B playoffs
BINGHAMTON – Not one person in the building at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena would have predicted a 34-point outing from Norwich’s prolific scoring offense Friday night in the Section IV, Class B finals.
The Tornado, though, were facing a red-hot Seton Catholic Central ballclub that has traditionally made a habit of making good offenses look bad.
The Saints, 10-point losers to Norwich in December’s Stop-DWI tournament, avenged that defeat with some gusto to spare capturing the sectional championship, 51-34.
Norwich, who have averaged well over 60 points per game throughout the season, had just 11 points over the second half’s entirety, and made just one basket over the game’s final six minutes and 53 seconds.
“We battled real hard, we just didn’t play great, and we needed to play great tonight,” said Norwich 24th-year coach Mark Abbott, whose sectional finals record dropped to an even 4-4.
Norwich trailed by as many as seven points in the first quarter with sophomore Tommy Torto netting 10 of his game-high 25 points, and John Armstrong adding a well-timed three-pointer.
Norwich climbed back into contention on Josh Borfitz’s three from the corner that left the Tornado four points short, 15-11, at the first turn. The second stanza looked more like the Norwich club that Tornado fans are used to seeing. The defense was stingy, and the offense was making open shots.
Reserve Jon Foulds drained a three to start the quarter, sophomore insert Dennis Oralls also drilled a long-range trey, and even Derek Hughes, who rarely attempts shots from behind the arc, canned a big-time trifecta from the left wing lifting NHS to a 23-22 halftime lead.
Norwich started the third with a nifty Hughes layup off a Richie Bonney feed from the right post giving Norwich a three-point lead.
“We talked at halftime about limiting their spurts, and we came out with a nice hoop after a nice feed to start the half,” Abbott said. “Then they went 7-0, 9-0…a couple of those baskets came in transition or off our missed jumpers.”
Joe Martin hit one free throw at the 5:43 mark, then drove by a Norwich defender, who fell down, then canned a foul-line jumper to tie the game at 25. Following another defensive stop of NHS, Torto came off a screen a popped a jumper that gave Seton the lead for good.
During a 13-2 SCC run, Norwich’s only answer was Hughes’ driving layup. Torto gave his club a 37-29 lead entering the fourth when he was fouled with just 1.7 ticks on the third-quarter clock, and subsequently netted both charity tosses.
Norwich played aggressively throughout the fourth, but gave up more ground than it gained. What signaled the death knell for NHS’s season was Torto’s four straight free throws with just over four minutes to play. Torto drove hard for a layup, and was fouled by the Tornado’s Borfitz. Torto was given two free throws, then a bonus of two more as Borfitz picked up a technical foul for undisclosed reasons.
Torto and his mates, who were 1-for-7 from the foul line in the opening half, went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the final quarter alone to stretch the final margin out to double digits.
Norwich made just two field goals the entire fourth quarter with Bonney’s jumper at the 3:01 mark the only response to 14-2 SCC salvo to end the game.
“We shot it pretty well in the first half, and we had a lot of the same shots in the second half and couldn’t make them,” Abbott said. “That’s Seton’s game. They force you to the perimeter and keep you out of the paint. I feel bad for the guys because they’ve worked so hard this season, and they have brought a lot of joy and happiness to our basketball community. They just weren’t able to take the next step.”
Weighing heavily in Seton’s defensive philosophy was 6-foot-10 junior Bob Garbade. It was tough enough for Norwich’s dribblers to get past the initial line of defense, and next to impossible to get a shot over the towering Garbade. “That’s what makes it so hard (to play Seton),” Abbott said. “If you don’t make your shots, you’re not going to get many second chances, and not many opportunities to drive to the hoop.”
Bonney, in his final NHS game, had 12 points to lead the Purple Tornado (18-4), and Hughes added eight points.
“Right now, it’s hard to take solace that you’re one of the best teams in the area again,” Abbott said. “But over time, it’s going to be okay. We’ll look back on the season and have a lot of fond memories. We did a lot of good things and beat a lot of good teams. We were a highly respected program at the beginning of the season, and we didn’t do anything to change that opinion.”
Norwich will honor its boys’ basketball players on the modified, JV, and varsity levels at the season-ending banquet on Wednesday, March 31.
SCC: Tom Torto, 7 9-11-25; Joe Slavik, 0; John Armstrong, 1 0-0-3; Joe Martin, 3 3-4-9; Dan Farrell, 2 0-2-4; Devin Hartrick, 0; Jarell Reagan, 0; CJ Tilyou, 0; Robbie Miller, 0; Devin, Kane, 0 2-2-2; Bob Garbade, 4 0-2-8; Cole Smothers, 0; Andrew Salamida, 0; John Martin, 0. Totals: 17 14-21-51.
NHS: Casey Edwards, 0; Dennis Oralls, 1 0-0-3; Richie Bonney, 5 0-0-12; Jacob Kelly, 0; Frank Somich, 0; Josh Borfitz, 2 0-0-6; Seth Thomsen, 0; Jon Foulds, 2 0-0-5; Alex Williams, 0; Derek Hughes, 3 1-3-8; Andrew Austin, 0 0-2-0; Josh Favaloro, 0; Zach Martinson, 0. Totals: 13 1-5-34 .
Fouled out: (N) Borfitz. Three-point goals: (N) Bonney 2, Borfitz 2, Foulds, Hughes, Oralls, (S) Torto 2, Armstrong. (Officials: Dadamio, Killian, Haynes.
The Tornado, though, were facing a red-hot Seton Catholic Central ballclub that has traditionally made a habit of making good offenses look bad.
The Saints, 10-point losers to Norwich in December’s Stop-DWI tournament, avenged that defeat with some gusto to spare capturing the sectional championship, 51-34.
Norwich, who have averaged well over 60 points per game throughout the season, had just 11 points over the second half’s entirety, and made just one basket over the game’s final six minutes and 53 seconds.
“We battled real hard, we just didn’t play great, and we needed to play great tonight,” said Norwich 24th-year coach Mark Abbott, whose sectional finals record dropped to an even 4-4.
Norwich trailed by as many as seven points in the first quarter with sophomore Tommy Torto netting 10 of his game-high 25 points, and John Armstrong adding a well-timed three-pointer.
Norwich climbed back into contention on Josh Borfitz’s three from the corner that left the Tornado four points short, 15-11, at the first turn. The second stanza looked more like the Norwich club that Tornado fans are used to seeing. The defense was stingy, and the offense was making open shots.
Reserve Jon Foulds drained a three to start the quarter, sophomore insert Dennis Oralls also drilled a long-range trey, and even Derek Hughes, who rarely attempts shots from behind the arc, canned a big-time trifecta from the left wing lifting NHS to a 23-22 halftime lead.
Norwich started the third with a nifty Hughes layup off a Richie Bonney feed from the right post giving Norwich a three-point lead.
“We talked at halftime about limiting their spurts, and we came out with a nice hoop after a nice feed to start the half,” Abbott said. “Then they went 7-0, 9-0…a couple of those baskets came in transition or off our missed jumpers.”
Joe Martin hit one free throw at the 5:43 mark, then drove by a Norwich defender, who fell down, then canned a foul-line jumper to tie the game at 25. Following another defensive stop of NHS, Torto came off a screen a popped a jumper that gave Seton the lead for good.
During a 13-2 SCC run, Norwich’s only answer was Hughes’ driving layup. Torto gave his club a 37-29 lead entering the fourth when he was fouled with just 1.7 ticks on the third-quarter clock, and subsequently netted both charity tosses.
Norwich played aggressively throughout the fourth, but gave up more ground than it gained. What signaled the death knell for NHS’s season was Torto’s four straight free throws with just over four minutes to play. Torto drove hard for a layup, and was fouled by the Tornado’s Borfitz. Torto was given two free throws, then a bonus of two more as Borfitz picked up a technical foul for undisclosed reasons.
Torto and his mates, who were 1-for-7 from the foul line in the opening half, went 10-for-10 from the foul line in the final quarter alone to stretch the final margin out to double digits.
Norwich made just two field goals the entire fourth quarter with Bonney’s jumper at the 3:01 mark the only response to 14-2 SCC salvo to end the game.
“We shot it pretty well in the first half, and we had a lot of the same shots in the second half and couldn’t make them,” Abbott said. “That’s Seton’s game. They force you to the perimeter and keep you out of the paint. I feel bad for the guys because they’ve worked so hard this season, and they have brought a lot of joy and happiness to our basketball community. They just weren’t able to take the next step.”
Weighing heavily in Seton’s defensive philosophy was 6-foot-10 junior Bob Garbade. It was tough enough for Norwich’s dribblers to get past the initial line of defense, and next to impossible to get a shot over the towering Garbade. “That’s what makes it so hard (to play Seton),” Abbott said. “If you don’t make your shots, you’re not going to get many second chances, and not many opportunities to drive to the hoop.”
Bonney, in his final NHS game, had 12 points to lead the Purple Tornado (18-4), and Hughes added eight points.
“Right now, it’s hard to take solace that you’re one of the best teams in the area again,” Abbott said. “But over time, it’s going to be okay. We’ll look back on the season and have a lot of fond memories. We did a lot of good things and beat a lot of good teams. We were a highly respected program at the beginning of the season, and we didn’t do anything to change that opinion.”
Norwich will honor its boys’ basketball players on the modified, JV, and varsity levels at the season-ending banquet on Wednesday, March 31.
SCC: Tom Torto, 7 9-11-25; Joe Slavik, 0; John Armstrong, 1 0-0-3; Joe Martin, 3 3-4-9; Dan Farrell, 2 0-2-4; Devin Hartrick, 0; Jarell Reagan, 0; CJ Tilyou, 0; Robbie Miller, 0; Devin, Kane, 0 2-2-2; Bob Garbade, 4 0-2-8; Cole Smothers, 0; Andrew Salamida, 0; John Martin, 0. Totals: 17 14-21-51.
NHS: Casey Edwards, 0; Dennis Oralls, 1 0-0-3; Richie Bonney, 5 0-0-12; Jacob Kelly, 0; Frank Somich, 0; Josh Borfitz, 2 0-0-6; Seth Thomsen, 0; Jon Foulds, 2 0-0-5; Alex Williams, 0; Derek Hughes, 3 1-3-8; Andrew Austin, 0 0-2-0; Josh Favaloro, 0; Zach Martinson, 0. Totals: 13 1-5-34 .
Fouled out: (N) Borfitz. Three-point goals: (N) Bonney 2, Borfitz 2, Foulds, Hughes, Oralls, (S) Torto 2, Armstrong. (Officials: Dadamio, Killian, Haynes.
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