NORTHFIELD, Vt. –  Junior forward Alex Preckol (Westford, Mass.) led the Norwich University men's basketball team with 15 points as the Cadets fell 75-56 to Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday afternoon. The Cadets drop to 7-13 overall and 4-10 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play, while the Monks improves to 10-9 on the year and 8-5 in the league.

Freshman guard Ryan Booth (Northfield, Vt.) added 14 points and pulled down a team-high five rebounds, while junior guard Gary Gladden (Boyton Beach, Fla.) and freshman center Mike Hogervorst (Leiden, Netherlands) contributed six points apiece.

Saint Joseph's wasted no time getting on the board, scoring four treys in just under four minutes into the contest. Norwich got on the board on a pair of free throws by freshman center Hogervorst followed by a layup from sophomore forward Kevin Ross (Ontario, Calif.) before Saint Joseph's Steve Simonds drilled the rock from beyond the arc for the 15-4 score at the 13:48 mark. The Cadets would cut the deficit to a five point margin, thanks to an 8-0 run with Preckol drilling in a pair of three-pointers for the 17-12 score at the 9:24 mark. The Monks took control of Norwich's turnovers and expanded the lead to 19 points for the 39-20 score at the break.

The Cadets looked to bounce back in the second half, posting seven points to the Monks' four in the first five minutes of the frame. St. Joseph's would regroup and utilize its strongest weapon, shooting the rock into the net from beyond the arc as Steve Simonds nailed his fifth trey of the game at the 5:24 mark to make it 65-46 in favor of the Monks. The Cadets would add 10 more points however St. Joseph's would put up nine more points to pull in front by double-figures for the 75-56 win.

The Cadets were outrebounded 33-27 and committed 19 turnovers to Saint Joseph's 15. The Monks finished 24-of-52 from the field, including 12 three-point field goals, while Norwich only connected on 18 of its 45 attempts.  Both teams posted similar numbers at the free throw line with the Cadets posting a 15-20 performance.

Craig Luschenat led the visitors with 19 points as Simonds and Zach Blodgett posted 18 points each.

Norwich returns to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on the road to Boston, Mass. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. for the 7 p.m. contest at Emmanuel College.