Girls’ Basketball

Johnson City 53, Norwich 43

NORWICH – Johnson City’s Stacey Fox hurt Norwich for the second time this season scoring 24 points in the Wildcats’ win Saturday on senior recognition day.

Fox was especially troublesome for the Tornado (7-10) at the outset scoring nine in the first quarter, most of those points coming on layups in transition. “We didn’t do a very good job of getting in defensive position,” said Norwich coach Krista Porter. “We did a better job on (Fox) in the second half.”

At no point did Norwich lead in the game, although a 7-0 run in the first quarter capped by Michelle Testani’s three ball had Norwich within 17-16.

Johnson City led by as many as 13 in the second half after scoring the first seven points of the third quarter. Norwich was unable to chip the lead any closer than seven points in the second half.

“They had a pretty good shooting day and we did not have one of our better shooting games. That makes a big difference,” Porter said. Norwich made just 7-of-36 field goal attempts in the second half.

Hannah Runyon scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Elisha Eddy had eight points, 15 rebounds and five assists for the Tornado.

Norwich hosts Whitney Point tonight.

JC: Emily McSain, 3 4-5-10; Celeste Kadylak, 2 0-2-4; Stacey Fox, 10 4-6-24; Kim Cleary, 3 1-2-7; Kelsey Casale, 3 0-0-6; Jasmine Kellam, 0; Meredith Bilsky, 0; Jessica Micha, 0; Casey Carpenter, 1 0-0-2. Totals: 22 9-15-53.

Norwich: G. Testani, 0; M. Testani, 3 0-0-7; S. Bonnell, 3 0-0-6; M. DeMellier, 1 0-0-2; E. Eddy, 2 4-6-8; H. Runyon, 4 3-4-11; A. Sharpe, 3 1-2-7; T. Ithier, 0 2-2-2. Totals: 16 10-14-43.

JC 21 9 16 7—53

NHS 16 8 12 7—43

Fouled out: (N) Ithier. Three-point goals: (N) M. Testani. JV: Norwich won, 54-43. Officials: Ciotoli, Berg.

Oxford 34, Harpursville 31

OXFORD – Oxford is heating up at just the right time, and Saturday the Blackhawks beat Harpursville club that had hitherto gone through MAC division play unbeaten.

“It was an ugly game and a physical game,” said Oxford coach Chris Palmer, whose club improved to 8-9 overall. “That’s what we needed it to be for us to win.”

Oxford held Harpursville to a pair of field goals in the first half and 8-for-56 shooting. Utilizing a triangle-and-two defense against Harpursville’s leading scorers Hannah Kimmel and Alycia Kimmel, Oxford stayed in the game. Danielle Murphy, Alyshia Crawford, Kelli Whitehill, and Kim Shackelton rotated defensively on the two Kimmels, who were held to 17 combined points. It was Crawford’s offense in the fourth quarter that ultimately put the Blackhawks over the top.

Down six to the Hornets early in the fourth, Crawford hit back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 26. Crawford broke a 30-30 tie with 1 1/2 minutes remaining canning her third trifecta of the quarter.

“Really it was a total team effort on defense,” Palmer said. “The girls are starting to understand their roles better, and I felt we showed a lot of toughness in this game. We were down five to seven points at different times, and we could have given up. But we kept plugging away.”

Crawford led Oxford with 12 points, and Haley Witchella pulled down 10 rebounds.

Harp: Hannah Kimmel, 2 7-13-11; Alycia Kimmel, 1 4-7-6; Abby Klutts, 0; Dietzman, 0; Livermore, 2 0-2-4; Jamie Anderson, 0 3-6-3; Marisa Wickham, 3 1-2-7. Totals: 8 15-30-31.

Oxf.: Alyshia Crawford, 4 0-0-12; H. Witchella, 5 0-2-11; Chantel Crandall, 2 4-8-8; Whitehill, 0; Dan. Murphy, 1 1-3-3; A. Mathis, 0; K. Shackelton, 0; G. Burdick, 0. Totals: 12 5-13-34.

Hap. 7 2 16 6—31

Oxf. 7 7 4 16—34

Fouled out: (O) Witchella. Three-point goals: (O) Crawford 4, Witchella. JV: Oxford won 37-35

Greene 67, Unatego 48

GREENE – Greene clinched a tie for the MAC Division I title Saturday with a performance that head coach Dave Gorton called the best this season.

Barb Borst scored a game-high 22 points, Erin Smith added a career-high 18, Megan McDermott chipped in with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Liz Wentlent returned from injury to dish out seven assists.

“It was a great effort and the return of Lizzy Wentlent was huge,” Gorton said. Wentlent missed the last two games after suffering a concussion. “We got the ball in better shooting position all night long, and the whole team benefited from her being there.”

Unatego attempted a triangle-and-two defense on Borst and McDermott. The scoring of Smith and Wentlent in the first quarter drove the Spartans out of that gimmick.

The Trojans finished with 21 team assists out of 27 baskets, and committed just five turnovers.

“Unatego is a good, aggressive team, and for that reason, I felt it was our best game,” Gorton said.