ELMIRA – Norwich coach Mark Abbott drew some solace from Wednesday night’s STAC semifinals playoff loss at Elmira Southside.
“We’ve played at a very high level for a long time and played some very good basketball,” the Norwich mentor said. “If we’re not going to be at our best, now is as good a time as any with sectionals coming up. The timing is disappointing, but we’re certainly not as bad as we looked tonight, and hopefully we’ll bounce back.”
Elmira Southside, buoyed by the strong play of senior forward Isaac Yarro, systematically dismantled the Tornado, and dealt Norwich its most lopsided loss to a Section IV team in several years, 68-44.
Yarro scored 31 points, far and way the most of any team facing the Tornado this season, and the Green Hornets also avenged losses to Norwich last year in the STAC playoffs and Section IV, Class A finals. Southside also halted Norwich’s nine-game winning streak.
“Last weekend after the Maine-Endwell game, I said that maybe we wanted it more than they did,” Abbott said. “Tonight, Southside wanted it a little more than we did. They played with a lot of fire and passion, and were clearly the better team.”
Yarro was a one-man wrecking crew on the interior. He had his team’s first seven points, and scored two baskets in the low post in the final two minutes of the opening quarter as the Hornets began to creep away from the Tornado (15-3 overall).
“He brought a lot of intensity, he’s really strong and goes up strong with the basketball,” said Norwich senior forward Richie Bonney of Yarro, who had an up-close view of the ESS player’s skills. “He finished every time around the basket, and barely missed anything at all tonight.”
Bonney was one of the few bright spots on the Norwich end of the floor finishing with 20 points, while easily grabbing more than 10 rebounds. Norwich’s real struggles came on the offensive end as shots that have fallen from the outside all season long were not finding their way through the rim.
Meanwhile, ESS steadily built upon a seven-point first-quarter lead. Dom Brooks hit a three pointer after getting a kickout pass from Yarro, and Mike Craft drained a three with 54 seconds left in the opening half raising the margin to 32-20. Yarro, as he did all game long, finished the quarter on a low-post layup.
