NORWICH – In capturing its fifth straight Tom Schwan Memorial Basketball Tournament title Saturday night, the host Norwich Purple Tornado did not dazzle with individual brilliance or spine-tingling plays.
Instead, it was a workmanlike effort of nine young men, one that yielded a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Coming out of halftime, NHS flipped the tenor of its championship clash with Utica Notre Dame outscoring the Jugglers 18-4 over the eight-minute period. Down the stretch, NHS turned away Notre Dame’s comeback effort with pivotal free throw shooting in a 52-44 win.
In back-to-back wins this past weekend, Norwich had just one player in each game reach double figures – MVP Kyle Edwards – and no other player had more than nine in either game. True to the makeup of this year’s young squad, every player is a contributor, and every player is a threat to the opponent in his own unique way. “Right before the game, we told the kids that they needed to support one another, and to beat Utica Notre Dame, we needed to play as one,” said second-year Norwich coach Tom Collier. “We’re not a one-man show.”
Collier, was referring to UND’s Simon Pitman as a one-man show based on his team’s scouting report and Pitman’s 36-point night against Sidney on Friday that sent the Jugglers into the championship.
Pitman had his moments, but fell silent during Norwich’s big third quarter. Edwards, who finished with 13 points, had nine points in the stanza including 5-of-6 from the free throw line and a pair of buckets. Edwards struggled from the field during the game (3-for-12), and instead created scoring opportunities with hard drives to the basket. “Kyle did an unbelievable job guarding Pitman, and he, Danny Carson, and Grant Brightman are such good leaders,” Collier said. “They led us by example tonight.”
Norwich was clearly the fresher of the two teams coming out for the second half, and soon swung the momentum its way. Carson hit a big three on the right wing to complement Edwards’ big quarter.
Pitman helped lead a Notre Dame rally, and his driving layup with under four minutes to play had his club within three points. Norwich, unable to make a basket in the fourth quarter to that point, regained control after a Brightman offensive rebound and putback. Seemingly ever loose ball under the basket over the final quarter found Brightman’s hands, who had four offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone.
Brightman, Edwards, and Zan Stewart canned clutch free throws with under two minutes left to provide the margin of victory.
“We’re really please to get through this,” Collier said. “We wanted to upgrade the tournament, and I think we did that. Now we’re going into the regular season, and we have a tough stretch of games ahead.”
Mike Sutton had nine points in the title win and was named to the all-tournament team along with Brightman.
Against defensive-minded Seton Catholic Central on Friday, Norwich produced perhaps its most convincing win over the Saints in many years allowing just 11 total field goals in a 51-32 romp. The Tornado jumped out to a 11-4 lead after one period prompting a comment from Collier between periods: “If we continue to play defense like that, it will be a long night for them.”
Norwich was at its unselfish best through two periods with not one player scoring more than four points. Mike Oralls scored on a layup with three seconds left in the half following a drive and dish from Zan Stewart.
The Saints closed to 27-21 early in the third only to give up nine straight points over the next three minutes. Cody Barnes had six straight points for Norwich, two off layups, and another two coming on free throws following a pass from Edwards. Edwards’ long-range three at the end of the stanza lifted the Tornado lead to 41-23.
Edwards added another three-pointer early in the fourth, and led Norwich with 12 points, while Barnes chipped in with eight.
