Three-minute stretch costs Norwalk

NORWALK — In some ways, the stretch proved a microcosm of the season. For the better part of three quarters, it was a struggle for visiting Perkins or host Norwalk to get any separation from each other in Friday's SBC Lake Division game. But the Pirates made four consecutive 3-pointers in a three-minute span late in the third quarter, which was enough to pull away for a 56-47 win at Norwalk High School. With the win, Perkins continues to stay hot down the stretch in improving to 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the Lake. The Pirates have won 10 of their last 12 games, and look nothing like the team that got beat 53-38 by the Truckers (11-9, 3-6) at home on Jan. 4. Norwalk is 3-5 in its last eight games, and still has matchups with Sandusky (18-1, 9-0) and Sylvania Southview (15-5). "We just stand straight up and down and won't get low and strong with the basketball — that stuff hurts us," Norwalk head coach Adam Kreischer said. "We have guys who will do it, and look really good handling it and attacking the rim, and then the very next possession it's like we lose focus and just stand tall and play like we're not varsity basketball players anymore." The Truckers led 29-25 after a 7-0 scoring run from Mason Gamble (five straight points) and Dalton Chapin. But Brennan Koelsch delivered back-to-back 3s around a Norwalk turnover to give Perkins a 31-29 lead at the 2:59 mark of the third quarter. After another empty Norwalk possession, Legando made a third straight 3, then for good measure, Groot banked in a 3 at the 1:39 mark to extend the lead to 37-29. Norwalk was able to come back with a 3 by Chapin and two free throws by Jordan Parriott to make it 37-34 with 50.2 seconds left in the quarter. But Normington-Slay then made it eight points off the bench in the quarter for the Pirates to push the lead back to 39-34 entering the fourth quarter. Parriott opened the final eight minutes with a jumper in the lane, but the Truckers drew no closer than the 39-36 deficit with 7:45 left. Legando again delivered a big basket, then converted a three-point play after another Norwalk turnover. That pushed the lead out to 44-36 with 6:34 remaining. The Truckers did manage to cut the deficit to 44-40 as Garrett Demuth and Chapin scored consecutively with 4:22 remaining, but Perkins had the answer in the form of easy scores inside on two straight possessions from Tim Boals. Leading 50-42 after a basket from Koelsch with 2:13 left, the Pirates then put the game away at the free-throw line. "The threes hurt us," Kreischer said. "But then the banked in three, and another from Legando, you'll live with that. But then the turnovers really hurt us and compounded things." Neither team was able to gain much distance from the other in the first half, either. The lead traded hands four times in the quarter, but the Pirates were able to build an 11-8 lead as Joey Diederich and Normington-Slay closed the quarter around a Norwalk turnover with consecutive baskets. Diederich then opened the second quarter with a short jumper in traffic for a 13-8 lead, but the Truckers responded. Down 14-10, Gamble scored on a drive to the basket, then Chapin followed with a 3 to give Norwalk a 15-14 lead with 5:51 left in the half. Boals and Ben Rothhaar then traded scores, followed by a floater in the lane by Weston Sturzinger to give the Pirates the lead back. After a three-point play from Mikey Young, Perkins led 21-17 with 3:46 left in the half. Gamble brought the Truckers back within 21-20 on a jumper at the free-throw line, then Groot and Chapin closed the half with under two minutes left by also trading scores to leave the Pirates up 23-22 at the break. Koelsch finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for the Pirates, who return to Norwalk on Saturday to face St. Paul (15-5) in a non-league game. Legando and Boals each added eight points. For Norwalk, Gamble had 13 points and six rebounds. Chapin added 12 points and five rebounds, and Parriott scored 11 points. The Truckers are at Monroeville (6-14) on Saturday. "Until we do things consistently do the little things, we're not going to beat good teams," Kreischer said. "We had that stretch there where we won at Perkins and Bellevue and we were doing all the little things, all the time. Box outs, take care of the basketball … the things it takes for us to grind out wins against good teams is what we were doing. "And for whatever reason, we aren't doing those right now no matter how much we harp on it." PERKINS (13-7, 5-4) Weston Sturzinger 1-2—4; Brady Legando 3-1—8; Joey Diederich 3-1—7; Mikey Young 2-2—6; Noah Normington-Slay 2-0—4; Tim Boals 4-0—8; Brennan Koelsch 4-3—14; Levi Groot 2-0—5. TOTALS 21-9—56. NORWALK (11-9, 3-6) Jordan Parriott 4-2—11; Mason Gamble 5-1—13; Landon Ferkel 2-0—5; Dalton Chapin 5-0—12; Garrett Demuth 2-0—4; Ben Rothhaar 1-0—2. TOTALS 19-3—47. Perkins 11 12 16 17 — 56 Norwalk 8 14 12 13 — 47 3-point FGs: (P) Koelsch 3, Legando, Groot; (N) Gamble 2, Chapin 2, Ferkel, Patriot JV: Perkins won