Norwich claims Stop DWI title with vintage comeback
BINGHAMTON – The Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena served as the venue for another vintage Norwich comeback victory.
Down 10 points to New York Mills to start the fourth quarter, Norwich made up that deficit, held the Marauders to a single field goal over the final eight minutes, and won the Stop DWI Holiday Classic Regional 2 title, 48-45 Monday night.
Michael Sutton scored a team-high 19 points, eight in Norwich’s fourth-quarter charge. A pair of Sutton free throws with four seconds left iced the win as New York Mills failed to get off another shot.
“I really can’t name the spark, but we’ve come back in this type of situation,” Sutton said, who was named the tournament’s MVP. “We got some stops in the fourth quarter and scored in transition.”
Seemed like a lid was placed on the Norwich bucket for most of the first three quarters. Sutton lamented his own misses around the bucket, and Norwich shot under 30 percent for the game (18-for-61). “Just a bad day,” Sutton said of his team’s shooting woes.
Yet Norwich still won at less than its best. “The biggest concern I’ve had since day one is shooting percentage, and the numbers (this season) are below where we can shoot,” said Norwich coach Tom Collier. “You have to think that they will even out by the end of the season.”
The Purple Tornado (6-0) briefly held the lead in the first quarter, but found itself playing catchup to a Marauders team that was ranked number one in the state among Class D schools, and should retain that position based on a impressive performance against a state-ranked NHS club.
Early in the third quarter, New York Mills senior standout Nick Comenale triggered a 10-1 run that increased his team’s lead to 41-27. Comenale broke out against the NHS press and received a pair of pinpoint, full-court passes from teammate Zach Vennaro that ended in layups. Comenale stole the ball from the NHS offense on another sequence that led to a layup, and two more buckets – one from Zach Griffith and Ali Hassan – had Norwich reeling.
“I could see things were going south, and as a coach, I knew I had to do something,” Collier said. “I started to encourage instead of discourage. Every little thing I was encouraging them.”
Michael Oralls converted a three-point play, Zan Stewart nailed a jumper, and Sutton hit a free throw as Norwich drew to within 10, 43-33, to enter the fourth.
A 6-2 mini-spurt to end the quarter was a just a precursor to a volcanic-like surge. Sutton drove to the basket at will scoring on two driving baskets. Storm Cook put back a missed Sutton shot drawing Norwich to within four. During the salvo, Cook had a pivotal blocked shot that Collier said was a weighty factor in the momentum shift.
Carlos Ithier hit a free throw, Sutton scored on another drive, and Ithier gave Norwich the lead for good converting a layup with 2:45 to play. Stewart’s baseline drive for a layup raised the lead to three as New York Mills remained scoreless in the period.
The Marauders finally answered Norwich’s 19-2 run when Ali Hassan tipped in Vennaro’s miss. That would be the lone New York Mills shot that would clear the rim in the fourth quarter. After shooting 45 percent for the game through three quarters, the Marauders were 1-for-12 from the field in the fourth, and Comenale, the team’s leading scorer with 21, did not score over the final nine minutes of the contest.
“I’m really happy that we won, but it’s still early in the season,” Collier said. “There is still room for improvement. We need to shoot better and finish better around the rim, but at the end, when we needed to finish, we did.”
Stewart had 11 points for Norwich, Cook had 15 rebounds, and Oralls totaled eight points and 12 rebounds. Norwich outrebounded the Marauders 49-33, and that included 22 offensive boards.
In additional to Sutton, Cook and Oralls were selected to the all-tournament team.
NYM: Terrance Nichols, 1-7 2-2-5; Andrew Suprenant, 1-8 1-2-3; Zach Griffith, 2-4 0-0-4; Luke Sunderlin, 0 0-0-0; Nick Comenale, 9-20 3-4-21; Griffin Baur, 0 0-0-0; Zach Vennaro, 4-10 0-0-8; Ali Hassan, 2-4 0-0-4. Totals: 19-53 6-8-45.
Norwich: Michael Oralls, 3-9 2-4-8; Mike Sutton, 6-17 6-10-19; Chris Trevisani, 0 0-0-0; Carlos Ithier, 2-10 1-2-5; Zan Stewart, 5-11 1-2-11; Matt Burke, 0-4 0-0-0; Storm Cook, 2-7 0-0-4; Mike D’Abbraccio, 0-1 1-2-1; Jamison Luke, 0-2 0-0-0. Totals: 18-61 11-20-48.
NYM 16 10 17 2–45
Norw. 13 9 11 15–48
Fouled out: none. Team fouls: (NYM) 16, (N) 11. Three-point goals: (NYM) Nichols, (Nor) Sutton. Officials: Dadamio, Ciotoli, Ehrie.
Down 10 points to New York Mills to start the fourth quarter, Norwich made up that deficit, held the Marauders to a single field goal over the final eight minutes, and won the Stop DWI Holiday Classic Regional 2 title, 48-45 Monday night.
Michael Sutton scored a team-high 19 points, eight in Norwich’s fourth-quarter charge. A pair of Sutton free throws with four seconds left iced the win as New York Mills failed to get off another shot.
“I really can’t name the spark, but we’ve come back in this type of situation,” Sutton said, who was named the tournament’s MVP. “We got some stops in the fourth quarter and scored in transition.”
Seemed like a lid was placed on the Norwich bucket for most of the first three quarters. Sutton lamented his own misses around the bucket, and Norwich shot under 30 percent for the game (18-for-61). “Just a bad day,” Sutton said of his team’s shooting woes.
Yet Norwich still won at less than its best. “The biggest concern I’ve had since day one is shooting percentage, and the numbers (this season) are below where we can shoot,” said Norwich coach Tom Collier. “You have to think that they will even out by the end of the season.”
The Purple Tornado (6-0) briefly held the lead in the first quarter, but found itself playing catchup to a Marauders team that was ranked number one in the state among Class D schools, and should retain that position based on a impressive performance against a state-ranked NHS club.
Early in the third quarter, New York Mills senior standout Nick Comenale triggered a 10-1 run that increased his team’s lead to 41-27. Comenale broke out against the NHS press and received a pair of pinpoint, full-court passes from teammate Zach Vennaro that ended in layups. Comenale stole the ball from the NHS offense on another sequence that led to a layup, and two more buckets – one from Zach Griffith and Ali Hassan – had Norwich reeling.
“I could see things were going south, and as a coach, I knew I had to do something,” Collier said. “I started to encourage instead of discourage. Every little thing I was encouraging them.”
Michael Oralls converted a three-point play, Zan Stewart nailed a jumper, and Sutton hit a free throw as Norwich drew to within 10, 43-33, to enter the fourth.
A 6-2 mini-spurt to end the quarter was a just a precursor to a volcanic-like surge. Sutton drove to the basket at will scoring on two driving baskets. Storm Cook put back a missed Sutton shot drawing Norwich to within four. During the salvo, Cook had a pivotal blocked shot that Collier said was a weighty factor in the momentum shift.
Carlos Ithier hit a free throw, Sutton scored on another drive, and Ithier gave Norwich the lead for good converting a layup with 2:45 to play. Stewart’s baseline drive for a layup raised the lead to three as New York Mills remained scoreless in the period.
The Marauders finally answered Norwich’s 19-2 run when Ali Hassan tipped in Vennaro’s miss. That would be the lone New York Mills shot that would clear the rim in the fourth quarter. After shooting 45 percent for the game through three quarters, the Marauders were 1-for-12 from the field in the fourth, and Comenale, the team’s leading scorer with 21, did not score over the final nine minutes of the contest.
“I’m really happy that we won, but it’s still early in the season,” Collier said. “There is still room for improvement. We need to shoot better and finish better around the rim, but at the end, when we needed to finish, we did.”
Stewart had 11 points for Norwich, Cook had 15 rebounds, and Oralls totaled eight points and 12 rebounds. Norwich outrebounded the Marauders 49-33, and that included 22 offensive boards.
In additional to Sutton, Cook and Oralls were selected to the all-tournament team.
NYM: Terrance Nichols, 1-7 2-2-5; Andrew Suprenant, 1-8 1-2-3; Zach Griffith, 2-4 0-0-4; Luke Sunderlin, 0 0-0-0; Nick Comenale, 9-20 3-4-21; Griffin Baur, 0 0-0-0; Zach Vennaro, 4-10 0-0-8; Ali Hassan, 2-4 0-0-4. Totals: 19-53 6-8-45.
Norwich: Michael Oralls, 3-9 2-4-8; Mike Sutton, 6-17 6-10-19; Chris Trevisani, 0 0-0-0; Carlos Ithier, 2-10 1-2-5; Zan Stewart, 5-11 1-2-11; Matt Burke, 0-4 0-0-0; Storm Cook, 2-7 0-0-4; Mike D’Abbraccio, 0-1 1-2-1; Jamison Luke, 0-2 0-0-0. Totals: 18-61 11-20-48.
NYM 16 10 17 2–45
Norw. 13 9 11 15–48
Fouled out: none. Team fouls: (NYM) 16, (N) 11. Three-point goals: (NYM) Nichols, (Nor) Sutton. Officials: Dadamio, Ciotoli, Ehrie.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks