Boys’ Basketball
Norwich 46, Unadilla Valley 35
Sherburne-Earlville 56, Sidney 53 (OT)
NEW BERLIN – Norwich is next for a Sherburne-Earlville club that is now 10-0 this season. The Tornado upended Unadilla Valley, while the Marauders rallied for an overtime victory over Sidney Wedneday to earn trips to the UV holiday tournament finals.
The Warriors seemed to have control of the game building a 39-31 lead over S-E, and with leading scorer Wilson Rose on the bench in foul trouble, the Marauders were in dire need of a spark.
Gabe Fowler provided that spark scoring 11 points in the fourth including a game-tying three to make it 47-47 with 1:11 to play.
Rose, who returned to the lineup with just under six minutes left, forced overtime canning two free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining.
Rose and Fowler hit a deuce and three ball respectively to move the margin to five, and after Sidney battled back to cut the lead to 54-53, Caleb Johnson sunk two freebies for S-E (10-0) to ice the game. “We have a lot of respect for the Sidney program, and this is a quality win for us,” said S-E coach Kevin Vibbard. “Even with Wilson on the bench, other guys were making plays. That’s the thing about this team, someone is always stepping up.”
Rose led with 21 points and Fowler finished with 18 markers.
Norwich finished the first quarter on a 7-0 run, built the lead to double digits in the second quarter, and shook off a sluggish second half to reach the finals.
Robert Martin scored 15 points to lead Norwich (6-2), who have won three straight, and Nate Foote scored 10. “Defensively, we weren’t as consistent, but one good thing is that we took away their penetration and forced them to take jump shots,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “We were a little flat defensively, and that usually carries over to the offense. Not to say we didn’t play hard, just not as well as we are capable.”
The Storm scrapped in the second half chipping away at the Norwich margin, and back-to-back baskets by Juston Parks pared a one-time 13-point Norwich lead to 40-35 with 1:33 to play. Martin and Foote combined to hit six free throws the rest of the way to clinch the win.
Josh Rivenburgh scored 12 of UV’s first 14 points in the second half, and finished with a career-high 18 points. Parks added 11 for UV (5-2), who face Sidney today at 6 p.m.
Norwich, meanwhile, suits up at 7:45 in the finals against a team it hasn’t lost to in Mark Abbott’s two-decade tenure at the helm. “You always want to be that team that puts the first loss on an unbeaten team,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Norwich: Shane Thompson, 0 1-2-1; Chris Mattingly, 0; Patrick Coates, 3 0-0-6; Keegan Edwards, 1 0-0-2; Nate Foote, 3 3-4-10; Robert Martin, 4 7-11-15; Vaughn Labor, 0 1-2-1; Tyler Saroka, 0; Justin Ballin, 1 1-1-3; Wade Kornegay, 0 0-2-0; Amos Parry, 4 0-0-8; Craig Berg, 0. Totals: 16 13-22-46.
UV: Mason Wyman, 1 0-2-2; Ryan Johnson, 0; Raffi Perry, 1 0-0-2; Juston Parks, 5 0-0-11; Darrin Garcia, 0; Josh Rivenburgh, 9 0-0-18; Matt Potter, 0 2-2-2. Totals: 16 2-4-35.
Score by quarters
NHS 15 11 8 12–46
UVa. 8 7 8 12–35
Fouled out: (UV) Wyman. Three-point goals: (N) Foote, (UV) Parks. JV: Norwich won.
S-E 56, Sidney 53
S-E: Gabe Fowler, 7 0-0-18; Jon Pinney, 4 0-0-9; Drew Doscher, 0 2-2-2; Wilson Rose, 7 5-8-21; Caleb Johnson, 0 2-2-2; Garrett Porack, 1 0-1-2; Tom Niles, 1 0-2-2. Totals: 20 9-15-56.
Sidney: Darrin Martindale 9 3-6-21, Parker Umbra 1 1-2-3, Troy Hawley 2 1-3-5, Andy Foote 5 0-1-11, Kody Westcott 1 3-4-5, Brett Pendorf 4 0-0-8. Totals: 22 8-16-53.
Score by quarters OT
S-E 11 10 8 20 7–56
