Lady Tornado pushes past Sus Valley, advances to Class B semifinals
Norwich sophomore MacKenzie Hess dribbles past a Susquehanna Valley defender in the second half of Saturday’s sectional quarterfinal contest. Hess ended with 14 points scored in the game as the Purple Tornado advanced with a59-39 win. (Jamey Mullen Photo)
NORWICH – The Lady Purple Tornado squad captured the opening round win over Susquehanna Valley Saturday night, coming away with the 59-39 win after holding off the early push from the visiting Sabers.
Norwich, who had already defeated Sus Valley twice this season, jumped out to an 11-8 lead after the first quarter behind the senior leadership of Abby Flynn. Flynn paced the Tornado with seven of the team’s opening stanza total.
The Sabers outscored Norwich 15-14 in the second, but with the strong shooting performance of sophomore MacKenzie Hess, the Lady Purple Tornado were able to go into the halftime break clinging to the two-point lead.
Hess produced nine points – all coming on shots from behind the 3-point arc – to lead the team at the intermission.
Out of the locker room for the second half, Norwich was able to get back to their style of play. Defensively, the home team held the Sabers to the eight points scored by Mara Donnelly as they caused several empty possessions for Susquehanna Valley.
On the other end of the floor, the Tornado put together an 18-point run and pulled away from the Sabers by 12. Flynn found her way to the rim to finish the quarter with six points from the floor. She also took four shots from the foul line in the stanza, draining three of the attempts.
Continuing her hot shooting from the quarter before was Hess, closing out the third with another five tallied – three coming off another made 3-pointer. The Norwich sophomore ended the night with 14 points, a career-high in her first season on varsity.
In the final eight minutes of play, the Tornado’s Sydney Coggins and Jenae Evans went in on the long-ball action. Coggins knocked down one from behind the arc to open the quarter and added another later on while Evans capped off Norwich’s night with her lone bucket of the contest.
Coggins scored 10 while Flynn led all scorers with 18 points. Margaret Dougher chipped in nine points, including two in the final 16-8 run for the Tornado.
Also coming off the bench late in the game to register in the scorebook was Grace Bookamer with a finish at the hoop while being fouled. Bookamer made her free throw attempt to give her three points for the night.
Donnelly led the Sabers with 15 points and Jenna Cotter added 10 for Susquehanna Valley.
Norwich will travel to top-seeded Oneonta on Wednesday for the Section IV Class B semifinal showdown between to the two rivals.
So far this season, the host Yellowjackets have defeated the Purple Tornado both times and will look to make it a third while Norwich will look knock off the top seed to return to the sectional championship for the second straight year.
The winner will take on either Newark Valley or Owego in the finals at the Floyd L. Maines Arena on Sunday, March 7.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. for Wednesday’s semifinal game at the Yellowjackets’ gymnasium.
Norwich, who had already defeated Sus Valley twice this season, jumped out to an 11-8 lead after the first quarter behind the senior leadership of Abby Flynn. Flynn paced the Tornado with seven of the team’s opening stanza total.
The Sabers outscored Norwich 15-14 in the second, but with the strong shooting performance of sophomore MacKenzie Hess, the Lady Purple Tornado were able to go into the halftime break clinging to the two-point lead.
Hess produced nine points – all coming on shots from behind the 3-point arc – to lead the team at the intermission.
Out of the locker room for the second half, Norwich was able to get back to their style of play. Defensively, the home team held the Sabers to the eight points scored by Mara Donnelly as they caused several empty possessions for Susquehanna Valley.
On the other end of the floor, the Tornado put together an 18-point run and pulled away from the Sabers by 12. Flynn found her way to the rim to finish the quarter with six points from the floor. She also took four shots from the foul line in the stanza, draining three of the attempts.
Continuing her hot shooting from the quarter before was Hess, closing out the third with another five tallied – three coming off another made 3-pointer. The Norwich sophomore ended the night with 14 points, a career-high in her first season on varsity.
In the final eight minutes of play, the Tornado’s Sydney Coggins and Jenae Evans went in on the long-ball action. Coggins knocked down one from behind the arc to open the quarter and added another later on while Evans capped off Norwich’s night with her lone bucket of the contest.
Coggins scored 10 while Flynn led all scorers with 18 points. Margaret Dougher chipped in nine points, including two in the final 16-8 run for the Tornado.
Also coming off the bench late in the game to register in the scorebook was Grace Bookamer with a finish at the hoop while being fouled. Bookamer made her free throw attempt to give her three points for the night.
Donnelly led the Sabers with 15 points and Jenna Cotter added 10 for Susquehanna Valley.
Norwich will travel to top-seeded Oneonta on Wednesday for the Section IV Class B semifinal showdown between to the two rivals.
So far this season, the host Yellowjackets have defeated the Purple Tornado both times and will look to make it a third while Norwich will look knock off the top seed to return to the sectional championship for the second straight year.
The winner will take on either Newark Valley or Owego in the finals at the Floyd L. Maines Arena on Sunday, March 7.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. for Wednesday’s semifinal game at the Yellowjackets’ gymnasium.
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