PAXTON, Mass.—The Norwich University men's basketball team dropped a 68-56 decision to the AMCATS of Anna Maria College on Thursday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action.

With the loss, the Cadets fall to 4-12 overall and 2-7 in league play, while the win boosts the AMCATS to 6-10 overall and 4-5 in league play.

Senior Nickolai Havoutis (Coral Glades, Fla.) scored 19 points to lead the team in scoring for the second straight game. He connected in 6-9 field goal attempts, including 2-3 three-pointers, and hit all five of his free-throw attempts. The senior point guard also led the team in steals and assists, totaling five of each.

Senior Tom McDonald (Groton, Mass.) added nine points for the Norwich offense, while junior Evan Tullar (Chelsea, Vt.) chipped in with eight. Sophomore Jimmy Warden (North Andover, Mass.) scored seven points for the Cadets.

Anna Maria was led by a pair of double-figure scorers in Quantez Franklin and Kyle McKissick. Franklin netted 18 points and added seven rebounds, while McKissick scored 14 points and led the team in rebounds with eight.

The AMCATS connected on 51.6 percent of their first-half field goal attempts to build a 38-22 halftime lead. The Cadets kept the score close in the opening minutes of the game and even took the 12-10 lead on a three-pointer by Warden at the 15:04 mark, but the AMCATS responded with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to hold a 22-12 advantage with 9:52 to play.

Following a three-point basket by Norwich's Alex Preckol (Westford, Mass.), the AMCATS added another eight unanswered points to lead 30-15 with 4:54 remaining.

Norwich improved their shooting in the second half, connecting on 54.2 percent of field goal attempts (13-24), and held the AMCATS to just eight field goals, but the AMCATS were still able to hold the Cadets at bay. Both teams were perfect at the free-throw line in the second half, as Norwich hit all seven attempts and Anna Maria was successful on 13-of-13 tries.

Both teams scored 19 points off turnovers over the course of the contest, but the AMCATS held a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points  and a 32-24 edge in points in the paint. The AMCATS bench also narrowly outscored the Cadets bench, 14-12.

Norwich returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 25 as it travels to St. Joseph's College of Maine for a 3:00 p.m. GNAC tip-off.