Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's basketball team defeated in-state foe Castleton State College, 69-61, as the Cadets picked up their eighth straight win to open 2015.

The Cadets improve to 8-1 overall, while the Spartans fall to 7-2 on the year.

Senior guard Aliah Curry (Winthrop, Mass.) led the Cadets with 28 points and added three assists in the win. Sophomores Heather LeBlanc (Sanford, Maine) and Kayla Mercer (New Britain, Conn.) contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, while freshman Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) pulled down 10 rebounds on the day.

Curry scored seven of the 11 points to give Norwich the 11-6 lead before Castleton responded with a 7-2 run to trail 13-14 at the 11:55 mark. The half saw four ties and three lead changes in the next 12 minutes as Kelsey Lotti (South Yarmouth, Mass.) made a jumper to tie up the game at 28 points apiece with 4:08 remaining in the first half. Both teams battled in the final minutes before Mercer nailed the three-pointer to give the Cadets the 34-33 lead at the break.

The second half showed no signs of either teams letting up as they both vied for the lead in the opening minutes of the stanza. Castleton would make a basket, only to be matched by the Cadet's jumper and even a three-pointer by Curry would tie up the contest at 38 before a pair of layups from LeBlanc gave the Cadets a four point lead at the 16:08 mark.

With three minutes remaining in the game and Norwich leading 54-52, the Spartans looked to make its final push for the lead, but found themselves in foul trouble and fell short as the Cadets would hit seven of their nine shots from the stripe for the 67-61 victory.

Jade Desroches led the Spartans with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Lindsay Sabo contributed 12 points on the day.

Norwich scored 40.7 percent from the field and made just 65 percent from the stripe. Castleton hit 29.9 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the free throw line and scored 16 points in the paint.

The Cadets will open the Great Northeast Athletic Conference against Anna Maria College on the road Tuesday for the 5 p.m. tip-off.