NASHUA, N.H. – The Norwich University women's basketball team picked up its ninth-straight victory after edging Rivier University, 77-75, on Saturday afternoon at the Muldoon Gymnasium. With the win, the Cadets improve their record to 19-4 on the year and 6-3 in the GNAC, while the Raiders drop to 9-12 overall and 5-3 in the league.

Senior guard Aliah Curry (Windsor, Mass.) led the Cadets with 28 points and eight assists in the win, while sophomore forward Heather LeBlanc (Sanford, Maine) scored 19 points and secured five rebounds. Senior guard Kelsey Lotti (South Yarmouth, Mass.) added an additional 11 points as freshman forward Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) pitched in with eight points and nine rebounds.

The first half was very explosive and filled with very good play from both teams. At first, the Raiders brought the game directly to the visiting Cadets. Using some home court advantage to aide in their attack, the Raiders quickly showed what they were all about. At the 14 minute mark, behind an 8-0 run by the Raiders, Norwich was forced to call time, in an attempt to prevent any further damage. Immediately after the timeout, Rivier stormed right back, adding an additional 9-0 run to push their lead to 27-10. With their backs against the wall, Norwich was forced to dig deep and try and fend off the fierce Raiders. How did the Cadets respond? With an excellent 7-0 run of their own to cut the Raider lead to just 10.

Poor shooting by the Cadets in the first half was the main reason for their troubles. Only 11-of-35 from the field (31 percent) and 1-of-12 from 3-point range (8 percent), the Cadets could not find a rhythm on offense. For the Raiders, their shooting percentages were much better, shooting 13-of-28 from the field (46 percent) and 6-of-11 from 3-point range (54 percent) gave the Raiders the edge they needed to go into halftime leading 44-33.

The Cadets had good first half numbers turned in by LeBlanc, who was able to record 13 points and 2 rebounds while Curry was able to add 11 points and 4 assists for her team. The Raiders had good performances turned in by senior Deanna Purcell (Hudson, N.H.) who was able to record 22 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds while teammate Caitlyn Perry (Nashua, N.H.) was able to add an additional 12 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds.

The second half was just as exciting as the first. Trailing by 11, the Cadets needed to get a better feeling on offense in order to keep themselves alive in this one. At the 14 minute mark, as a result of some excellent offensive and defensive possessions, the Cadets were able to put the Raiders on the ropes, capping a 12-0 run to pull to within one point. The Raiders however, would fight back the Cadets with some good offense of their own, pushing their lead back to seven. The Cadets, at the eight minute mark, capped another impressive run of 8-0, tying the game at 62.

Down 77-75, with just nine seconds left, the Raiders needed a last second shot to either win or force overtime. Some heads up defense by the Cadets led to a steal and foul by the Raiders with only 2.5 seconds left. With a 1-and-1 opportunity for the Cadets, the Raiders looked like they were in serious trouble. After missing the free throw attempt, the Raiders quickly called timeout with just 1.9 seconds remaining in hopes of getting a last chance shot. After the timeout, the Cadets went into full court pressure and managed to slow the Raiders down enough to run the clock down as the buzzer rung before Rivier was able to get off a good enough shot.

The Raiders were led by Purcell, who recorded 32 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Perry finished with 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Caitlin Bulger (Quincy, Mass.) and Savanna Butterfield (Londonderry, N.H.) each recorded 12 points for the team.

Despite the slow start in the first frame, the Cadets improved their shooting technique, hitting 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) from the field and 8-of-12 from the three-point arc (66.7 percent) in the second half to end the contest with a 42.9 percentage from the floor and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Norwich will be on the road to take on the Sharks of Simmons College on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for the 7:00 p.m. GNAC clash.

MAJOR PORTIONS COURTESY OF RIVIER SPORTS INFORMATION