BINGHAMTON – It wasn’t a LeBron James chase-down blocked shot, but Andrew Austin’s hustle play at the end of the first half was just as effective as James’ defensive calling card.

Austin missed an open shot on the offensive end that back-rimmed toward the Maine-Endwell goal. It created an immediate fast break, and the Spartans’ Max Sinicki had a clear path to the basket to give his team much-need momentum entering halftime. Sinicki leapt for the layup, but had Austin strip Sinicki of the ball as the buzzer sounded.

“That was indicative of our team’s effort tonight,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “If Andrew doesn’t make that play, someone else would have.”

Norwich awoke from a first-quarter offensive lull, sped past M-E in the second, and controlled the dangerous Spartans the rest of the way winning 52-40 Saturday at Binghamton High School for the STAC Central Division title. It was the rubber match between these two schools, who split in the regular season, and ended in a dead-on divisional tie.

The victory gives NHS a repeat division title and a date at Elmira Southside Wednesday night in the STAC playoffs.

“We showed the heart of a champion today,” Abbott said. “I can’t say for sure, but I think, today, we wanted it a little more than they did.”

Approximating the level of effort and desire from two physical, intense clubs is nearly impossible. Maine-Endwell had the upper hand in the first quarter, much of that due to a trio of three balls from slashing senior forward, John Connolly. Connolly had nine in the first quarter, but a bad case of foul trouble had him sitting most of the middle two quarters. Late in the second quarter, Norwich’s Richie Bonney drew a charge on the aggressive Connolly. Connolly was subsequently whistled with a technical foul after pushing a Norwich player – his fourth foul of the game, and an assigned seat on the M-E bench.

Norwich was already in the midst of a 10-0 run, and Connolly’s absence on the floor clearly hurt the Spartans as the NHS lead stood at 25-17 through two quarters. “It was huge,” Abbott said of Connolly’s time on the bench. “John Connolly is one of the best players in the league at both ends of the floor, and he was an absolute terror against us the previous two games. For him to not be a part of their lineup, it would be like taking Richie, Derek (Hughes) or Josh (Borfitz) out of our lineup.

“John is a great player and a great guy. It’s unfortunate he did not have the day he wanted.”