Men’s Norwood Flames vs Woodville Warriors
The final game of the 2024 NBL1 season for the Norwood Flames (7-10) is upon us as the men look to secure a win against the Woodville Warriors (7-10) to end the year on a positive note. The Norwood squad has been an elite offensive team all season, this should be a great tool against the Warriors as they have been below-average on defence this year. Getting a solid win should carry some positivity into the offseason for the men.
Both teams started on an amazing offensive note, Cooper Osborne hitting the first shot of the game before Woodville drained two triples, Riley Harrap stepped up and answered both triples for Norwood. Both teams kept up the elite offences for the remainder of the quarter, being super aggressive and finding holes in the opposition’s defences. A very exciting offensive quarter came to a close, all tied up at 20-20.
The Warriors threatened to break away at the start of the second quarter, going up 7 within the first minute of the quarter. A combined team effort, highlighted by 10 points from Jack Hemphill, brought the game back and took the lead for the Flames. Not only were the Flames consistent on offence their defensive intensity also stepped up, not allowing Woodville to obtain any rhythm. Despite this Woodville was able to keep Norwood under control and tied the game back up before going into halftime, 40-40.
Riley Harrap continued his hot shooting as he drained another two quick triples to fuel the Norwood offence, creating an early 8-point lead. Woodville wasn’t ready to let the game slip away and they kept the lead hovering around 5. A timeout from coach Tim Odell was exactly what the team needed as the men came out dominant on both ends. This brilliant play on both sides of the ball created big advantages which Norwood effectively took advantage of. The quarter came to an end with Norwood leading 68-58.
The fourth quarter came with a heavy defensive focus from both teams, forcing both teams into a slower-paced game where the offence was challenged into poor decisions and few open looks presented themselves. Eventually, the Norwood squad was able to break, going on a 13-point run and increasing their lead to 18. This lead was enough of a cushion for the remainder of the game as the Flames won their final game of the season 84-71.
