Frank Speziale Photo

NORWICH – The Norwich Lady Purple Tornado are returning the Floyd L. Maines Arena for the first time the 2014-2015 season after defeating the Oneonta Yellowjackets 67-40 in the Section IV Class B girls basketball semifinal Tuesday night.

The Purple Tornado drained nine 3-pointers in the contest and played hard-nosed, full court pressure defense – like they have all season long – to cruise to the win over their Southern Tier Athletic Conference divisional foe Oneonta.

“We were sloppy, especially on offense,” said Norwich’s Head Coach Josh Bennett following the game Tuesday. “After looking through the film, I thought we played better defensively than I felt we did live.

“I also felt we grinded the game out well on a night when we didn’t have our best offensively. I’m happy with the way we grinded the game out offensively on a night we didn’t have our best stuff.”

Like a game earlier this season between the two teams, the Tornado and the Yellowjackets went scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of the game.

Norwich had several turnovers, which led to Oneonta shots at the other end of the floor. The Yellowjackets offensively, however, couldn’t convert and the Lady Tornado came away with the defensive rebound to limit Oneonta to one chance.

With 4:47 left in the first quarter, Oneonta’s Anika Buzzy went 1-for-2 at the free throw line to give the game its first points.