Box Score 

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Senior G Erica Rate poured in a game-high 23 points and senior G Ally Daniels tossed in 16 points to lead the Norwich University women's basketball team past Lyndon State College, 94-49, Wednesday evening at Andrews Hall.

Rate, who matched her career high with seven three-pointers in the contest, and Daniels each netted 14 points apiece in the first half alone to help the Cadets open up a 50-29 lead at halftime. Junior F Christine Daniels chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds for Norwich (4-1).

Senior/junior F Laurel McWilliams and senior F Jess Jaggars each added eight points apiece. Jaggars pulled down a game-high nine rebounds as well. Senior G Natalie Marchese dished out a game-high seven assists. The Cadets finished with 30 assists on their 38 made field goals. The Cadets outscored the Hornets 42-12 in the paint, and they netted 31 points off of 23 LSC turnovers.

Lyndon State (4-1) was led by Danielle LaFont, who scored a team-high 15 points. Kasey Steinmetz added 12 points off the bench for the Hornets, who shot just 28.8 percent (17-of-59) from the floor.

The game was close for the first four minutes, with Norwich holding a 9-8 lead at the 16:26 mark. The Cadets went on a 12-3 spurt over the next 3:25, though, to open up a 21-11 advantage with 13:01 to play in the half. Lyndon State pulled to within eight points on two occassions later in the stanza, but that was as close as the Hornets would get. NU ended the first half on a 26-13 run to carry a commanding 50-29 lead into the intermission.

Norwich shot a blistering 55.0 percent (22-of-40) from the field in the first half. The Cadets scored 16 points off 11 Lyndon State turnovers. NU also enjoyed a 26-8 edge in points in the paint during the opening 20 minutes.

NU opened the second half on a 21-7 run to increase its lead to 35 points (71-36) at the 10:59 mark and the Cadets cruised from there. Norwich led by as many as 47 points in the second half, and head coach Mark Zacher was able to empty his bench.

Norwich ended up shooting 48.7 percent (38-of-78) from the floor for the game. The Cadets hit 8-of-18 three-pointers, led by Rate's 7-of-12 performance.

Norwich will return to action this weekend (Dec. 4-5), when the Cadets host the Ed Hockenbury Classic at Andrews Hall. NU is slated to play Maine-Machias in the first game of the tournament on Friday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. Friday's second semifinal, which will immediately follow Norwich's game, will feature Bates and Castleton State. The third-place game will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m., and that will be immediately followed by the championship showdown.