Norwich clashes with Express tonight
Norwich hasn't faced adversity in the fourth quarter since the calendar flipped nearly six weeks ago.
That could change tonight when the Purple Tornado visit a red-hot Elmira Express club in the Southern Tier Athletic Conference boys' basketball semifinals at 7 p.m.
The Express are in the midst of the second-longest winning streak in the conference – eight games, Norwich is at 16 – and have victories this season over STAC Metro Division champion Union-Endicott along with last year's league champion, Maine-Endwell.
"They're a team that is built an awful lot like us," said Norwich coach Tom Collier. "They like to press and trap full court, and play 10 guys. They try to wear you down with their depth and style of play."
Just two years ago, Elmira and Norwich crossed paths in the STAC JV playoffs with many of tonight's protagonists participating in Elmira's one-point victory over NHS.
And last year, Elmira visited Norwich in the STAC varsity playoffs, but came up well short, 69-52. Collier doesn't expect a repeat of last year when Norwich coasted in the second half to a double-digit victory.
"They have more size than us and probably more overall athleticism," Collier said of this year’s matchup. "They are a really good challenge for us. I'm excited and the kids are excited. We know we're walking into the lion's den with a bullseye on our back, and we'll see how we respond to that."
The Express have three players averaging in double figures. Alex Bellardini is coming off a 30-plus-point game in a win over U-E, sharpshooting guard Tyler Moffe is averaging 16 a game, and point guard Eli Thomas scores around 10 per game.
Norwich, too, has a number of players hovering in the 10-point-per-game range. Mike Sutton leads at a 14-point-a-game clip, Mike Oralls is at 10.5 per tilt, while Zan Stewart puts up just over nine per game, and forward Storm Cook tosses in around nine per game as well.
"We've kind of been on cruise control since we beat Oneonta, now we're up against the big boys," Collier said. "This a great opportunity to face a high caliber opponent that is a much larger school than us. Win or lose, we're going to benefit from this experience."
Union-Endicott meets Susquehanna Valley in the other STAC semifinal. The winners will clash in the league championship game Friday at the Binghamton Events Center.
That could change tonight when the Purple Tornado visit a red-hot Elmira Express club in the Southern Tier Athletic Conference boys' basketball semifinals at 7 p.m.
The Express are in the midst of the second-longest winning streak in the conference – eight games, Norwich is at 16 – and have victories this season over STAC Metro Division champion Union-Endicott along with last year's league champion, Maine-Endwell.
"They're a team that is built an awful lot like us," said Norwich coach Tom Collier. "They like to press and trap full court, and play 10 guys. They try to wear you down with their depth and style of play."
Just two years ago, Elmira and Norwich crossed paths in the STAC JV playoffs with many of tonight's protagonists participating in Elmira's one-point victory over NHS.
And last year, Elmira visited Norwich in the STAC varsity playoffs, but came up well short, 69-52. Collier doesn't expect a repeat of last year when Norwich coasted in the second half to a double-digit victory.
"They have more size than us and probably more overall athleticism," Collier said of this year’s matchup. "They are a really good challenge for us. I'm excited and the kids are excited. We know we're walking into the lion's den with a bullseye on our back, and we'll see how we respond to that."
The Express have three players averaging in double figures. Alex Bellardini is coming off a 30-plus-point game in a win over U-E, sharpshooting guard Tyler Moffe is averaging 16 a game, and point guard Eli Thomas scores around 10 per game.
Norwich, too, has a number of players hovering in the 10-point-per-game range. Mike Sutton leads at a 14-point-a-game clip, Mike Oralls is at 10.5 per tilt, while Zan Stewart puts up just over nine per game, and forward Storm Cook tosses in around nine per game as well.
"We've kind of been on cruise control since we beat Oneonta, now we're up against the big boys," Collier said. "This a great opportunity to face a high caliber opponent that is a much larger school than us. Win or lose, we're going to benefit from this experience."
Union-Endicott meets Susquehanna Valley in the other STAC semifinal. The winners will clash in the league championship game Friday at the Binghamton Events Center.
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