It didn’t take long for Sean O’Neill to put the Mustangs on the board Tuesday night at Dedham, but that 2-0 lead would be Norwood’s biggest, and last, of the night. The Marauders easily outpaced their archrivals, 60-38.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat it. They beat us in every facet of the game,” Norwood coach Rich Cormier said. “I’m disappointed for the kids. I know how hard they worked, and we are a better team than that.”
The Mustangs kept it close throughout the first, but after that 14-11 quarter it was Dedham’s show. played strong and tough at both ends of the court, and had no problem finding the net at any point during the game.
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“I was really pleased with the effort tonight, especially defensively,” said coach Ed Hickey. “This was one of the few games where we have really been able to put away a team.”
The home team went on to outscore Norwood 18 to 10 in the second, with Cam Clifford finishing out the half by striding down court and putting in the easy layup. The buzzer sounded seconds later and the teams went to the locker rooms with the scoreboard showing a Marauder advantage of 32-21.
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Dedham’s Dan O’Connor stole the ball to begin the second half, which set up his second of three 3-pointers. O’Connor, who had 19 points overall, contributed nearly one-third of his team’s total points and was easily the game’s leading scorer. O’Neill topped the Mustangs with 11.
“It’s exciting,” O’Connor said. “You always have to come ready to play Norwood, and when you beat them, its fun. Plus we [after Norwood won in the first meeting], and we got it.”
Towards the end of the quarter the Mustangs began employing a full court press, and it was reciprocated by the Marauders. Norwood couldn’t shut down their hosts, however, and Dedham enjoyed an expanded lead of 17 points heading into the fourth.
Both teams put their benches on the court in the fourth, but Norwood still struggled to find a rhythm. Daron English had a pair of treys, but that was all the Mustangs could muster. Five separate players scored for Dedham in the fourth, on the other hand, and eight of the 13 did on the night.
“Right now we are taking any win we can,” said Hickey, “but I think each day we are getting better as a team. We’re still in the league.”
