Girls’ Basketball

Norwich 43, Owego 39

NORWICH – The sixth lead change in the fourth quarter was the one that clinched Norwich’s victory, who outlasted a game Owego team that had one starter out with an injury, and two others foul out in the fourth quarter.

Owego’s 6-foot-2 freshman Rachel Merrill put her team up 37-35 with 2:13 left scoring inside on a nice post-up move that led to a 5-foot bank shot. After a pair of defensive stops, Norwich took the lead when Molly DeMellier penetrated and dished to junor forward Hailey Dietrich. Dietrich split two defenders and was fouled after scoring the tying basket. Dietrich put the Tornado up 38-37 when she canned a free throw.

Owego, coming out of a timeout, answered one final time when Sam Watson hit a short-range shot on an out-of-bounds play making it 39-38. Norwich pushed the ball up the floor quickly as Hannah Runyon fed Bryn Loomis, who drove and dished out to DeMellier in the left corner. DeMellier swished her only basket of the game to give NHS the lead. Down the stretch, Norwich made 3-of-4 foul shots, and Dietrich created a key turnover with seven seconds left forcing a jump ball. Runyon’s two free throws capped the scoring.