Boys’ Basketball

Norwich 66, Johnson City 63

JOHNSON CITY – Norwich was not able to match the quickness of Johnson City’s Ian Pettiford nor the the size of the Wildcats’ Ryan Clark. Conversely, JC had a difficult time staying with any of Norwich’s players on the floor, and that was the difference in the ballgame.

The Tornado completed a perfect three-game swing through STAC Central Division play – all on the road – and improved to 6-0 on the season beating the highly regarded Wildcats Tuesday night.

“It was just a great game and we gave it everything we had,” said Norwich coach Mark Abbott. “We only played eight guys, but the five that didn’t play were just as involved in the game. It was a great team effort.”

Playing for first place in the division, Norwich’s script for success was shredded early by JC. The Wildcats had three layups and a Pettiford three ball to jump to a 9-2 advantage. “Our goals (coming into the game) were to take care of the ball and keep them out of the paint,” Abbott said. “ The first four possessions we turned it over three times and gave them three layups. We called a timeout, and after that, we played a tremendous game offensively. We did a nice job taking care of the ball, we took the ball to the basket with authority, and we made our free throws.”