Box Score
Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Four players scored in double digits as the Norwich University men's basketball team held off Emmanuel College, 71-66, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference matchup Saturday afternoon.
Senior forward
Evan Tullar (Chelsea, Vt.) scored a team-high 17 points with four rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, while sophomore
Kevin Ross (Ontario, Calif.) added 10 points and three assists to go with a steal and an block. Junior
Alex Preckol (Westford, Mass.) contributed 11 points, followed by freshman center
Mike Hogervorst (Leider, Netherlands) putting in 10 points along with a career-high six blocks on the day.
Emmanuel (4-10, 2-6 GNAC) jumped out to a 20-7 lead in the first seven minutes of the first half before Preckol nailed a three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run as the Cadets trailed 24-21 at the 8:36 mark. The Saints would put up two points on the board before Ross made back-to-back baskets, including a three, to knot the contest at 26.
Both teams would trade baskets that saw three lead changes as time winded down as Emmanuel led 33-31 at the 1:12 mark before Norwich closed out the half with
Joe Bertrand (Saugus, Mass.) landing a nice long bomb from beyond the arc at the buzzer to give the Cadets the 34-33 lead at the break.
Norwich took a commanding lead in the second half as the Cadets led by nine points,57-48, at the 10:42 mark. The Saints kept pounding away, making each shots count as Emmanuel trailed by two points, 64-62, at the 5:05 mark before finding themselves in foul trouble in the end.
With the Cadets leading 68-65 after a pair of free throw by Tullar, the Saints quickly called for a timeout, hoping to establish a late rally, but the plan faltered as the Cadets chew up the clock, forcing Emmanuel to intentionally foul in the next 30 seconds as Warden, Ross, and Hogervorst each went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe for the 71-66 score, putting the game out of reach for the Cadets' second league win of the season.
The Cadets shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 52.6 from the free throw line, as the Saints made just 41 percent of their shots from the field and 46.2 percent from the stripe. Emmanuel outrebounded the Cadets, 46-23 but the Cadets would come up with nine steals, scoring 14 points on fast breaks, to go along with the 10 blocks on the day.
Norwich will be back in action on Monday, Jan. 19 when it hosts Suffolk University in a 7:30 p.m. GNAC matchup.
