WATERVILLE, Maine. – Sophomores Ryan Fitzgerald (Winchester, Mass.) and Mike Hogervorst (Leiden, Netherlands) each scored 10 points for the Cadets, but it was not enough as the Norwich University men's basketball team dropped a 79-49 decision to Bates College in the Charlie Ryan Classic, hosted by Thomas College, Saturday night.

Sophomore guard Zygimantas Sirvydas (Silale, Lithuania) contributed four points and a team-best five rebounds on the night, while classmates Ryan Booth (Northfield, Vt.) and Steven Scott-Lopez (Peoria, Ariz.) added seven and six points, respectively.

Bates (1-0) was led by Malcom Delpeche with 20 points, eight rebounds and five steals for the Bobcats. Teammates Marcus Delpeche and Shawn Stickland contributed 10 points each with eight other players putting up two or more points for the Bobcats on the night.

After a pair of baskets by both teams at the tip-off, Bates' Josh Britten nailed a three-pointer to spark a 14-0 run in a span of nine minutes for the 18-4 lead. Norwich (1-2) managed to find the baskets but poor shooting down the stretch became an issue for the Cadets, who shot just 34.6 percent from the floor in the half and turned the ball over 15 times, 10 off of steals by Bates.

The Bobcats, who shot 58.1 percent from the floor in the stanza, tacked on 21 more points to the Cadets' 15 for the 36-19 lead at the half.

Norwich managed to score 30 points but the poor shooting and Bates' strong defensive stops of 18 defensive rebounds, plagued the any chances of a comeback. The Cadets shot just 35.5 percent from the floor, despite hitting 4-of-7 from the charity stripe. Bates would score 43 points in the second half for the final score, 79-49, and pick up its first win of the season.

Norwich will return to action tomorrow against the host, Thomas College, for the 12:00 p.m. tip-off.