Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Sophomore F Antonio Davis pumped in a game-high 21 points, and junior G Quincy Williams chipped in 14 points off the bench as the Norwich University men's basketball team beat Skidmore College, 74-71, Wednesday evening at Andrews Hall.

Davis, who also grabbed nine rebounds, shot 8-of-11 from the field to help the Cadets (6-3) snap their brief two game losing streak. Senior F Israel Guardado posted nine points and nine rebounds, while sophomore G Darell Marshall added nine points on 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line.

Norwich led 69-60 with 2:19 to play, but the Cadets had to withstand a furious Skidmore run down the stretch to secure the victory. Jeff Altimar's deep three-pointer, which capped the Thoroughbreds' 11-3 spurt, trimmed the Cadets' lead to 72-71 with 10 seconds remaining. Marshall, who made 7-of-8 free throws in the final 2:19, calmly stroked two shots from the charity stripe to move NU's lead to three points. Altimar got a decent look at a game-tying three-pointer from the right wing in the final seconds, but he fired up an airball just before the buzzer sounded.

The game got off to a sluggish start, with neither team able to find the range from the floor over the first four minutes. A three-pointer by Jon Douglas broke Skidmore's game-opening drought and gave the Thoroughbreds a 3-2 edge at the 16:23 mark. The contest was tied at 5-5 moments later, but a 12-2 spurt by Norwich gave the Cadets a 17-7 lead with 11:57 to play before halftime. Skidmore whittled the Norwich advantage down to four points (19-15) at the 9:27 mark, but the Cadets reeled off a 12-4 run over the next 5:32 to open up their largest lead of the half (31-19) with 3:55 remaining on the clock. The Thoroughbreds got to within six points late in the half, but a jumper by Williams gave the Cadets a 37-29 advantage at the intermission.

Davis led all scorers in the first half with 15 points. Douglas paced Skidmore with seven points in the frame.

The Cadets built a 43-33 lead less than three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 run by the Thoroughbreds tied the score at 44-44 at the 12:58 mark. Brian Lowry, who scored five points during the run, capped the spurt with a three-point play. Norwich's lead grew to nine points (57-48) moments later, but Skidmore pulled to within four (57-53) with 8:58 to play. The teams traded baskets for the next several minutes, with NU's lead never dipping below four points. Norwich was able to stretch its advantage to nine points one last time at the 2:19 mark, setting up the game-ending dramatics.

Skidmore (7-3) was led by Altimar, who netted a team-high 14 points. Lowry added 13 points for the Thoroughbreds, while Kyle Clark posted 11 points.

Norwich will resume its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule on Saturday, Jan. 9, when they Cadets travel to New Haven, Conn., to face Albertus Magnus College. Tip-off for the league contest is slated for 3 p.m.