PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Japhet Kerr scored a game-high 28 points to lead Johnson & Wales to a 68-57 victory against Norwich in a GNAC men's basketball contest at the Harborside Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon.

Tirone McCray and Greg Samuels each tallied 19 points in the victory for the Wildcats, who improve to 5-3 (1-1 GNAC).

Jamel Bedford led Norwich (4-4, 0-2 GNAC) with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Jerrold Williams added 13 points, six rebounds and three steals.

The two teams traded leads early on in the contest with Johnson & Wales holding a 10-9 lead with 12:54 remaining in the first half.  The Wildcats then used an 8-3 run to take an 18-12 advantage with 9:37 on the clock. JWU led by as many as 12 points in the first half before taking a 33-24 lead into halftime.

Johnson & Wales held a double digit lead throughout most of the second half and led 52-40 after a jumper by sophomore Richard DiLascio with 10:24 remaining. Norwich responded with an 8-2 run that cut its deficit to54-48 on a jumper by Williams with 6:12 showing on the clock. That would be as close as the Cadets would get however as the Wildcats held on for the victory.

Norwich will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 8, when the Cadets welcome St. Joseph's (Maine) to Andrews Hall for a GNAC contest. The game, which kicks off a three-game homestand, is slated to begin at 7 p.m.