Boys’ Basketball
Norwich 62, Chenango Valley 54
NORWICH - Norwich’s third win over Chenango Valley this season was easily the most difficult as it advanced to the Section IV Class B title game for the second straight season Saturday evening.
The Warriors led by as many as nine in the first half behind 14 points from Chris Ruffo, and took a four-point lead into halftime.
“I thought they played really well, probably the best game they have played against us,” said Norwich coach Tom Collier. “I think people thought we would roll over them because we blew them out the last time, but I knew it would be tough.”
If not for the scoring of NHS sophomores Mike Oralls and Zan Stewart in the first half, it could have been even worse for the Purple Tornado (16-4).
Oralls had 10 of his 12 in the first half and Stewart seven of his nine as NHS trailed 26-22. During those first two quarters, NHS leading scorers Kyle Edwards and Mike Sutton combined for just five points.
“Let’s just say we gave them some motivation (Edwards and Sutton) in the second half,” Collier said.
After adjustments were made – on offense and defense – Norwich looked like a different team.
Edwards hit three three-pointers in the third quarter, and one led to a four-point play that tied the game at 33-33. Sutton also scored 11 in the quarter to turn a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
Ruffo’s scoring slowed significantly as Norwich rotated Danny Carson, Matt Burke, Sutton, and Edwards to defend Ruffo. Ruffo finished with 23, but had just two in the fourth on a late bucket with the game in hand for NHS.
“Chris Ruffo is one of the best players in our league, and he willed his team past Dryden the other night,” Collier said. “He was trying to will his team past us, but I think we wore him down. I can’t say enough about the job our guys did on him defensively, especially Burkey, who came in and gave us some great minutes guarding Ruffo.”
Sutton finished with 18 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, while Edwards added 16 points. Grant Brightman also had eight rebounds for NHS.
Next up is Whitney Point, who topped Susquehanna Valley on Saturday. The two teams meet for the B title Saturday evening at the Broome County Arena. “They’re really good this year, and they have a nice inside/outside combination,” Collier said of Whitney Point.
