Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's basketball team put it all together with a sound 71-59 win over Colby-Sawyer College at Andrews Hall on Monday night.
With the win, Norwich improves to 12-4 on the year, while the loss drops Colby-Sawyer to 10-6 overall.
Three Cadets scored in double digits with sophomore guard
Kayla Mercer (New Britian, Conn.) posting a team-high 14 points, followed by senior guard
Kelsey Lotti's (South Yarmouth, Mass.) 13 points and senior guard
Aliah Curry's (Windsor, Mass.) 11 points on the night. Mercer shot 4-of-6 from beyond the arc as Lotti hit 3-of-8 from the same range a freshman forward
Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) led the team in the backcourt with nine rebounds and added nine points in the win.
Norwich jumped out to 10-4 lead in the first five minutes of the opening tip-off, thanks to a pair of long bombs by Lotti and Mercer. Colby-Sawyer would respond with a pair of threes of its own to knot the game at 10 points apiece.
After both teams swamped baskets, Lotti would hit her second three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run for the 20-12 score before the Cadets went on another run, this time an 11-5 spread, to lead 31-17 with 5:33 remaining in the stanza. The Chargers would break out of the slump with a 9-0 run before Mercer made back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to give the Cadets the 37-28 lead at the break.
The Chargers found second win early into the second half with a 9-2 run before a three-pointer from Mercer sparked an 8-0 charge for the 51-37 score at the 11:43 mark. The tables shifted once again with the Chargers catching up with their second run of the half, this time on a 13-3 run, cutting the deficit to just four points with 7:50 remaining in the game.
The Cadets took advantage of Colby-Sawyer's foul troubles in the final three minutes, hitting seven of the eight shots from the charity stripe to put the game out of reach for the 71-59 victory.
Colby-Sawyer was led by sophomore forward Kristen Ellis, who dished out a double-doubles on 13 points and 13 rebounds. The Chargers finished the night hitting 38.2 of the shots from the field and 29.2 percent from beyond the arc, while the Cadets shot similar numbers, 38.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from the three-point line, however Norwich had an advantage on rebounds, 41-34, and converted 16 points on second chances.
The Cadets will return to action tomorrow, weather permitting, as they host Lyndon State College in a non-conference matchup for the 7:00 p.m. tilt.
