Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, Norwich Sports Information

NORTHFIELD, Vt.—Norwich University men's basketball senior guard Tom McDonald (Groton, Mass.) nailed a game-tying three-pointer with 15 seconds left in the second overtime period but Johnson & Wales (RI) hit a three of their own 12 seconds later as the Wildcats prevailed, 96-93, over the Cadets team in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Tuesday evening.

Norwich falls to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in GNAC play with the loss. The win boosts the Wildcats to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in league play.

The three-pointer was one of six hit by McDonald as the senior scored a career-high 40 points for the Cadets. After scoring just six points in the first half, McDonald exploded for 20 points in the second half. He added an additional 15 in the two overtime periods on 5-7 field goal shooting with a trifecta of three-pointers, including the shot from the top of the three-point ring that tied the score at 93-93 with 15 seconds to play.

The Cadets trailed by as many as eight points in the second overtime stanza, as Johnson &Wales' Robert Lewis scored a quick four points on a layup and a pair of free-throws. Forced to foul for possession, Norwich sent the Wildcats to the line four more times, but the technique paid off as the Cadets fought back from the eight-point deficit to trail 93-88 with 45 seconds to play.

Senior Nickolai Havoutis (Coral Glades, Fla.) was drove through the lane, made the layup and was fouled with 29 seconds on the clock. He missed the free-throw but pulled down his own rebound before finding McDonald poised for the game-tying shot.

With a third overtime period looming and the ball in the Wildcats' hands, Curtis Lucas took control for his team by drilling a three-pointer with three seconds on the clock. Norwich inbounded quickly and Havoutis hurled the ball at the Norwich hoop, but the attempt clipped off the rim to end the game.

In addition to McDonald's 40 points, the Cadets also saw 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists from Havoutis. Sophomore Gary Gladden (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 13 points off the bench, while junior Evan Tullar (Chelsea, Vt.) and freshman Josh Evans (Grafton, Mass.) chipped in with nine and eight points, respectively. Evans also led the Cadets in rebounds with eight.

Four different players scored in double-figures for the Wildcats, led by Lewis with 32 points. Tom Garrick, Jr. had a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, while Curtis Lucas added 20 points and Frank Robinson chipped in with 12.

Norwich held a narrow 27-25 lead at halftime despite trailing for most of the period. The Cadets took an early lead, which was quickly relinquished to the Wildcats, who opened their early lead to as many as eight points before Norwich finished the half with a 16-7 run in the final eight minutes of the half. The Cadets tied the score on a free-throw shot by Havoutis with 1:56 to play and took the lead on a pair of free-throws by Gladden a minute later.

The second half saw both teams nearly double their first-half point totals, as the Wildcats outscored the Cadets 41-39 in the stanza. Norwich was poised for the regulation victory as they held a 66-63 lead with seven seconds on the clock, but Lewis hit a deep buzzer-beater to force overtime.

Norwich shot 50 percent from the floor over the two overtime periods and finished the game with a shooting 42.6 percent. The Cadets finished 8-25 (32.0 percent) from three-point range, and hit 77.1 percent (27-35) of attempts from the free-throw line.

The Wildcats totaled a 39.1 percent field goal average over the 50 minutes of action. The difference in the game was their 40.0 percent three-point shooting, as Johnson & Wales hit 12-30 attempts from behind the arc.

Norwich outscored the Wildcats in the paint (34-28) and off turnovers (24-18), but Johnson & Wales saw the advantage on second-chance points (14-9) and points from the bench (22-16).

Norwich will return to action on January 4, 2014 when it hosts Husson University at 1:00 p.m. in non-conference action.