Girls’ Basketball

Oneonta 59, Norwich 44

NORWICH – For nearly three quarters, Norwich gave STAC powerhouse Oneonta all it could handle.

Senior all-star guard Madie Harlem took control of the game over a five-minute span that started with back-to-back three balls at the end of the third, and extended to the midway point of the fourth quarter. In that time frame, she scored 12 of her game-high 22 points, and a 34-31 lead grew to 55-35 by the time she took a seat for the night.

“Our defender didn’t go above the screen on their pick-and-roll, and Harlem hurt us,” said Norwich coach Krista Porter. “Harlem is probably one of the top guards in STAC this year.”

Norwich, with just one win a season ago, stood almost even-up with Oneonta, and seemed to get a big basket whenever the ‘Jackets looked to assert control. An early five-point surge in the third quarter capped by Elisha Eddy’s basket gave Norwich its last lead, 26-25 with six minutes left in the stanza.

Later in the quarter, after Oneonta began to find its rhythm, a three ball by Tatyana Ithier and a put-back deuce from Adrienne Sharpe kept the game within three points.