Norwich’s Emily Evans goes up for a contested layup as Elmira’s Megan Fedor attempts to block the shot. Evans ended the game with five points but the Purple Tornado fell to the Express Saturday evening. (Keith Lanfear photo)

Oxford blanked in second quarter in loss

NORWICH – Facing the high-powered, fast-paced offense of the Elmira Express, the Norwich Lady Purple Tornado fell for just the second time this season Saturday evening, 71-50.

Coming into Saturday’s contest, the Express were ranked 13th in the New York State Girls Basketball rankings for Class AA while the home team sat at 10th in Class B.

Elmira, one of the few teams this season that has had an answer for Norwich’s in-your-face pressure, took control early as they broke the full-court defense with their quick ball-handing point guard Kiara Fisher.

Fisher, a senior of the Express who is off to play for the Lady Orange in Syracuse next season, found a teammate up the floor for a quick two points in the first quarter as Elmira went on a 21-8 run. The colleague she found most in the opening eight minutes was Zaira DeMember-Shazer – who is committed to Marist next year – as she scored 10 of her teams first stanza points.

Norwich received points from Mackenzie Hess, Margaret Dougher, Emily Evans and Emerson Burton in the first but together the four players combined for the eight points scored by the home team as several turnovers and missed opportunities as the rim plagued the Lady Tornado.