By Christopher A. Vito
He didn’t have a hood pulled up, or a towel draped over his head. He didn’t duck out a side door, either.
There was nowhere for Tyler Norwood to go. That was as much the case after the game as it was during.
Hershey looks to trap Norwood in the corner. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)
Norwood, Delaware County’s second-leading scorer, received constant defensive pressure Friday night. He struggled to find a sweet spot on the court. His shot was off, and Penncrest’s hope at a lengthy state-playoff run went with it.
Penncrest, fresh off its first District 1 championship since 1969, bowed out of the PIAA Class 5A tournament with a 51-42 first-round loss to Hershey. The Lions’ historic season came to an end at Marple Newtown High School, in a game they trailed wire to wire.
Norwood shot 8-for-30 from the field, including 1-for-11 from 3-point range, to finish with 17 points. He even missed his lone attempt at the foul line. Seemingly epitomizing his off night, Norwood’s up-and-under layup attempt in the game’s final seconds — an uncontested look at the rim — rolled out.
“My shots just weren’t falling. Nothing I can do about it,” said the junior guard. “My teammates kept me motivated, confident. I just kept shooting and it wasn’t falling. It wasn’t my night.
(Webmaster’s note: The Hershey vs. Penncrest PIAA Playoff game was our Game-of-the-Week and can be heard on our Archives link on the left hand side of the page.)
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