ENDICOTT – Norwich's homogeneous approach to the offense and defense had a breakout performance in the club's biggest game to date.

Senior Michael Oralls posted a game-high 22 points, every one of those integers needed in the Purple Tornado's 57-47 Southern Tier Athletic Conference championship game victory over Binghamton, Friday night at Union-Endicott High School.

The victory made it two straight league titles for Norwich, who also repeated as conference champions in 1993 and 1994.

Oralls' unique manner of scoring the basketball begged the question: Do you practice those scoops, floaters, and makeshift hook shots. "No, not really," Oralls said after the game. But had he seen those types of shots at some point? "I guess."

Oralls starred on offense, but it was the collective defense efforts of the primary eight men who wore the purple jerseys that made Oralls' points on the other end more meaningful, especially in the fourth quarter.

The prolific Patriots, who regularly score better than two points a minute, had quarters in which they scored just five and six points. Most significant was that latter six in the final eight minutes of play. Norwich had a precarious 41-39 lead entering the final period, that due to some fine outside shooting by Bingo in the third quarter.

“They got it going a little bit in the third quarter, and a lot of that was due to our turnovers,” said Norwich coach Tom Collier.

Sabast Doski hit a bomb from two feet beyond the three-point line to start the third quarter, Kyhil Pinkney, typically a drive-to-the-basket slasher, drained an unexpected three on the next possession, and for the rest of quarter, Norwich's stingy defense had trouble plugging holes.

A step-through inside move by backup Tylique Duggins and Alkeem Freeman's bucket at the end of the third drew Binghamton to within two, the closest it had been since early in the first quarter.

Anyone who knows Norwich, though, was not quick to panic. “I thought Binghamton had a good game plan, but right from the beginning, I just liked the feel of this game,” Collier said. “Even though they cut the lead to two, at no time did the thought of losing creep into my mind.”

That confidence rubbed off on the Purple Tornado players. A mere eight seconds into the fourth quarter, Norwich had its answer to Binghamton’s threat. Taking the ball out of bounds in front of its own bench, Norwich executed a perfect set that led to Zan Stewart’s hoop-and-harm three-point play. With the lead at five, Norwich was able to control the fourth quarter with patient offense in tandem with its always-tough defense. “Brian (Collier) drew up a great out-of-bounds play to start the fourth, we ran it, and bang, we got a three-point play,” Tom Collier said. “That was big for us because it gave us a little cushion.”

Duggins scored inside for Binghamton on the next possession, but over the next three critical minutes, Norwich held Binghamton scoreless as Norwich stretched its lead to nine points.