By Robert Jeffrey

Sun Sports Contributor

Frank Speziale Photo

NORWICH- The Norwich Girls varsity basketball team suffered their first home loss of the season on Thursday Jan. 26, falling to the New York State Class B eighth ranked Sabers from Susquehanna Valley by a score of 65-43.

Winners of the Section IV and the NYSPHSAA Class B State Championship only two seasons ago and a Section IV runner-up last year, the Sabers looked to gain a higher seeding for the Section IV playoffs and achieve home court advantage for their respective sectional games. The Norwich Tornado on the other hand had other plans. Regardless, of each team’s hopes there was still a game to be played between two Section IV title contenders.

The first quarter for the Tornado proved to be the most competitive quarter they played all night, leading the game by a six point margin with still less than half of the period to play. Freshman point guard Halea Eaton who stood her ground and took an offensive foul by an SV player driving to the basket turned the Norwich bench into a frenzy of celebration. This was followed up by Makenzie Maynard’s three-pointer and the hometown crowd began to believe in an upset.