With just one Summit Conference game remaining with rival Mansfield, the Norwood Pirates basketball team put themselves in the driver’s seat to win a conference crown last Saturday when they traveled to Gainesville and left with a 63-59 overtime victory.
In a game rescheduled due to the weather, the 14-win Bulldogs hosted a Pirates team entering the game on an eight game winning streak.
Fortunately for Norwood, they had three different players score in the overtime session to help the Pirates improve to 19-1 on the season.
The Bulldogs’ Bryce Humbelton established his post presence early, scoring six points in the first quarter as he had 14 of his team-high 21 points in the first half.
The Pirates’ Garrett Davault had four points and Gavin McGraw added a 3-pointer in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs led, 13-11.
Before halftime, Noah Drake scored six points and Davault added five points as Norwood rallied for a 26-21 halftime edge.
Davault added six more points in the third quarter, though Gainesville’s Landry Jenkins had eight points to cut the lead to two.
In the fourth quarter, Norwood had six different players score, but once again, were outscored, 15-13, sending the game into overtime.
McGraw came up big in the overtime session with five points while Jacob Sinning added four points to help the Pirates to the four-point win.
Davault scored a team-high 22 points; McGraw had 13 points; Sinning added 11 points; Justin Chadwell scored eight points; Drake finished with seven points; and Max McGowan scored two points.
Before the big contest with Gainesville, the Pirates traveled to Fordland and left with a 76-40 win.
Chadwell came up big for Norwood, scoring 16 points in the first half as the Pirates led, 33-25, at halftime.
Leading by just eight points at the break, the Pirates’ defense dug in by holding the Eagles to just 15 points in the final two quarters. This includes Fordland scoring just four points in the final frame.
In the third quarter, Norwood outscored Fordland, 29-11.
Davault took over the game in the second half with 15 points.
McGowan added 10 points as the Pirates cruised to the 36-point victory.
Nine different Pirates scored in the win.
Davault had a team-high 23 points; Chadwell scored 20 points; both Sinning and McGraw had 10 points; Peyton McDaris, Dylan Calhoun and Drake each had three points; while both Brayden Frye and McGowan each scored two points. The Pirates’ final Summit game is against Mansfield at home on Feb. 15.
