PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Samantha Hendrick hit one-of-two free-throw attempts with one second left in the game to propel the Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) Wildcats to a 57-56 win against the Cadets of Norwich University on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action.

With the loss, the Cadets fall to 5-7 overall and 0-2 in league play, while the win boosts the Wildcats to 4-10 overall and 2-0 against GNAC opponents.

Junior Aliah Curry (Windsor, Mass.) scored a game-high 22 points for Norwich and hit five three-pointers, including back-to-back baskets in the final seconds of the second half to tie the game at 56-56.

With 11 seconds left to play in the tied game, Johnson & Wales missed a jump shot following a Wildcats' timeout. Hendrick recorded the offensive rebound, and 10 seconds later, a costly Norwich foul sent Henrick to the line, where she hit the first of two free-throws to win the game.

Norwich freshman Heather LeBlanc (Sanford, Maine) scored 17 points and recorded seven rebounds, while senior Erin Clark (Newbury, Vt.) grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.

Johnson & Wales saw a team-best 15 points by Savannah Kresge and 11 points from Natalie Dicocco. Jenna Juron chipped in with nine points, while Valerie Arce recorded a team-best 10 rebounds off the bench.

Norwich held an eight point lead, 13-5, with 14:49 to play in the first half. The Cadets led for almost 17 minutes of the first half, until a basket by Johnson & Wales' Jordan Neylon gave the Wildcats the 29-28 lead with 40 seconds remaining in the frame. With three seconds on the clock, Norwich's Clark hit the first of two free-throw attempts to set the 29-29 halftime score.

The second half opened with 2:15 of scoreless play, which was broken up on a layup by Dicocco. The Cadets scored the next five points on a three-pointer by Curry and a layup by LeBlanc to put the score back in favor of Norwich. The Cadets would hold onto the lead until the 9:25 mark, when Kresage hit a jumper to knot the score at 43-43.

Johnson and Wales would take control from there and would lead by as many as 10 points in the final minutes before Norwich made one final push to tie the score at 56-56.

The Cadets shot 30-6 percent (19-62) from the floor over 40 minutes of action, while the Wildcats connected on 43.4 percent (23-53) of field goal attempts.

Norwich commited just 13 turnovers while forcing the Wildcats into 17, and the Cadets outscored the Wildcats 16-13 in points off turnovers. The Cadets also held an advantage in second-chance points (11-10), but the Wildcats held a 10-0 advantage in bench points.

Norwich returns to action on Monday, Jan. 20 when it hosts Mount Ida College at 5:30 p.m. in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action.