Box Score NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's basketball team looked to rally late in the second half, but miscues of turnovers and rebounds stymied the Cadets' efforts as Anna Maria College held on for the 73-62 win in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest on Saturday afternoon.
The loss drops Norwich to 4-11 on the year and 1-7 in the GNAC, while Anna Maria improves to 8-7 overall and 4-4 in the league.
Sophomores Ryan Booth (Northfield, Vt.) and Mike Hogervorst (Leiden, Netherlands) each scored 16 points, while freshman Chibuzor Ogbue (Framingham, Mass.) picked up a double double on 10 points and 11 rebounds for Norwich. Sophomore Zygimantas Sirvydas (Silale, Lithuania) contributed 11 points and collected six assists with three steals on the day.
Senior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass.) scored a team-high 20 points for Anna Maria, with classmate Patrick Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) recording a double double on 15 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate Corey Pryor (Northbridge, Mass.) also scored 15 points as junior David Jean-Louis (Miramar, Fla.) tallied 10 points for the AMCATS.
The first half was a tight back-and-forth battle between both teams as the Cadets trailed by as many as seven points before rallying late in the stanza to tie it up at 25 points apiece at the 6:01 mark. Anna Maria stretched its lead to three for the 33-30 lead before Jean-Louis nailed a three-pointer for the AMCATS as both teams headed in the locker room with the Cadets' trailing by six at the break.
Norwich cut the deficit to two in the first two minutes of the second half but could not retake the lead as the AMCATS took advantage of the Cadets' turnovers, scoring 18 points on fast breaks, and stretch their lead to 19 at the 7:17 mark of the stanza. The Cadets regrouped and battled their way back but it would not be enough as time expired with Anna Maria picking up the 73-62 win.
Norwich outrebounded Anna Maria 39-22 and hit 84.6 percent from the free throw line, but finished the day hitting just 34.8 percent from the field. The AMCATS shot 48.2 from the floor and hit 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc, scoring 22 points in the paint.
Norwich is back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Lasell College for the 7:30 p.m. conference matchup.