Boys’ Basketball
Norwich 55, Oneonta 48
ONEONTA - Norwich cleared the first hurdle of the season Wednesday, and it was a big one.
The Tornado shut down Oneonta’s leading scorer Jordan Gutierrez, and used a balanced offense attack to hand the ‘Jackets their first loss of the season.
Gutierrez scored 36 in Oneonta’s Drago Tournament victory over Johnson City last weekend. The junior guard was held to two field goals and seven points against NHS.
Still, Oneonta hung in behind first-year varsity player Albert Odero, who had a game-high 22 points.
Norwich countered with three players in double figures scoring. Junior Mike Oralls scored an even dozen, Storm Cook bucketed a career-high 11, and Mike Sutton chimed in with 10.
Norwich clung to a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter, and slowly extended the advantage toward the end making nine out of 16 free throws.
The lead was created at the end of the third with what NHS coach Tom Collier called the biggest shot of the game. With Norwich trailing by one, sophomore Carlos Ithier buried a three to give Norwich a lead it would not relinquish. “It was a great win, but our kids gutted it out in what was a hostile environment,” Collier said. “Oneonta has a very good team, and will win a lot of games this year.”
Oralls and Cook finished with double-doubles as each pulled down 10 rebounds apiece. Sutton, the steadying influence at point guard, dished out six assists. Collier said the three road preseason scrimmages were keys in preparing for last night’s opener.
“We went on the road to play three very good teams, and that was critical,” Collier said. “We wanted to prepare ourselves for adverse situations.”
Norwich hosts its annual basketball tournament this Friday and Saturday. The Tornado face Whitney Point at 7:45 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s Class B sectional final. In the prelim, Susquehanna Valley clashes with Sidney.
Statistical notes: Norwich shot 18 of 60 (30 percent) from the field, but had 23 offensive rebounds and just five total turnovers. Oneonta, meanwhile, had just 38 shots for the game shooting 37 percent overall...Norwich’s sophomore duo of Ithier and Jamison Luke had big days off the bench. Luke had six points and six boards, while Ithier hit two threes in the second half on his way to eight points. Cook proved difficult to box out pulling down eight offensive boards.
Norwich: Michael Oralls, 5 2-4-12; Mike Sutton, 3 4-7-10; Chris Trevisani, 0; Carlos Ithier, 2 2-2-8; Zan Stewart, 2 1-2-5; Matt Burke, 0 2-3-2; Storm Cook, 3 4-6-11; Mike D’Abbraccio, 0; Jamison Luke, 3 0-0-6; Cody Barnes, 0 1-2-1. Totals: 18 16-26-55.
Oneonta: Jordan Gutierrez, 2 2-2-7; Albert Odero, 8 5-5-22, Paul Bischoff, 2 5-6-10, George Foti, 0, Mike Wolstenholme, 0; Brock Eichler, 0; Ben Southern, 0, Skylar Thompson, 2 3-4-9. Totals: 14 15-17-48.
NHS 15 10 14 16–55
OHS 7 16 14 11–48
Fouled out: (O) Bischoff. Three-point goals: (N) Ithier 2, Cook. (O) Thompson 2, Gutierrez, Odero, Bischoff. Officials: Mudge, DiLorenzo.
Tri-Valley 53, Oxford 41
WALTON – In the first round of the Walton Tournament, Oxford fell to Tri Valley.
Tri Valley scored the first 13 points of the second half to turn a four-point game into a 17-point advantage. “We turned it over and missed some shots, and when we did get shots, we didn’t finish,” said Oxford coach Tim Davis of the third quarter.
Cameron Heggie led an Oxford comeback in the fourth. Heggie had 10 of his 18 points over the final eight minutes as the Blackhawks closed to within six points.
Matt Moore scored nine for Oxford, and Kevin Davis had 20 rebounds.
Oxford plays Sullivan West Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Oxford: Matt Moore, 4 1-1-9; Cam Heggie, 7 4-7-18; Jeff Lawton, 0 1-2-1; Greg Brewer, 2 0-1-4; Lane Barry, 1 0-1-2; Kevin Davis, 2 3-7-7; Adam Camiel, 0; Jake McConnell, 0. Totals: 16 9-19-41
TV: Jared James, 4 1-2-11; Jesus Lozada, 1 1-2-3; Thomas Mungeer, 2 0-0-4; Donte Brock, 5 0-0-10; Justin Swartout, 1 2-4-4; Sam Tingley, 6 1-2-15; Devin Donnelley, 2 2-4-6. Totals: 21 7-14-53
Oxf. 8 9 8 16–41
T-V 10 11 16 16–53
Fouled out: (O) Lawton Three-point goals: (TV) James 2, Tingley 2. JV: T-V won.
Girls’ Basketball
Sherburne-Earlville 53, Holland Patent 30
SHERBURNE - Sherburne-Earlville made quick work of defending division champion Holland Patent Wednesday night.
The Marauders won their second game in three days building a 38-13 halftime lead.
Bridgette McDaniel came off the bench to score 10 of her 12 points in the opening half. McDaniel was filling in for foul-plagued Lilly Berg, who picked up her game in the second half. Berg had most of her 20 points after halftime to help pad the S-E lead.
