NORTHFIELD, Vt. – In the second game of the afternoon's twinbill against Saint Joseph's College of Maine, the Norwich men's basketball team overcame the Monks with a 73-59 effort. Norwich is now 11-7 overall and 7-4 in the GNAC, while the Monks, who had been ranked first in the conference going into the game, move to a 12-2 GNAC record.

Junior Antonio Davis proved to be a threat to the Monks, as he put up 12 points and 10 boards for the double-double, while recording five assists, two blocks and two steals.

Along with Davis, senior Jaren Jeffcoat and junior captain Josh Cabrera both shot for 12 points, as five Norwich players earned double treys in the action. Junior Darell Marshall recorded five assists, while Cabrera made a game-high four steals.

The Monks weren't without their power, as they too were strong outside the arc with seven treys throughout the team. When it came down to the numbers, however, Norwich proved to have the greater shooting percentage throughout the duration of the game, averaging 48-percent in shooting to Saint Joseph's 36-percent.

In the fast paced matchup, Cabrera put Norwich on the board with a layup early in the game. But that was the only time the Cadets would have the lead until a minute before the halftime buzzer. A 3-pointer by junior Chris Petzy, who threw down 17 points in the game, gave the Monks the advantage, one they stretched to nine points midway through the half. By the end of the first 20 minutes, however, Norwich had made its comeback, and a layup by Davis, followed by two free throws from Cabrera put the Cadets up by two at the half.

Both teams came back with elevated energy levels that proved contagious for a crowd that was on their feet for every Cadet trifecta. Norwich never surrendered their lead for the duration of the game, but no one seemed to sit back and take the lead for granted.

With 2:48 remaining on the clock, Norwich was up 68-57. Jeffcoat made a steal at the half and found Davis under the rim. To the crowd's pleasure, the dunk Davis delivered brought the crowd to their feet as the Norwich team rushed the court.

A pair of free-throw shots by junior Tom Ray served as the Monk's last bit of scoring, and it was Cabrera, sinking the final 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining, that put the icing on the cake.

The Cadets will be on the road for their upcoming GNAC weekday games, traveling to Suffolk on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The following Thursday, Norwich will face Rivier at 7 p.m in a game that was originally on the schedule for Dec. 12.

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