PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Norwich University women's basketball team lost its second Great Northeast Athletic Conference game on the year after a 63-53 setback to Johnson & Wales University (JWU) on Saturday.

JWU are now 12-1 on the year and 2-0 in league play, while Norwich falls to 7-6 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

Topping the Cadets' scoring with a career-high 23 points was sophomore guard Shyann Josler (Thetford, Vt.) with 23 points. Classmate Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) reached double-digits with 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds.

Six different Wildcats scored in the first quarter as the hosts jumped out to a 20-8 lead. JWU's defense limited the Cadets to 35.7 percent shooting (10-of-28) in the first half and 20-of-63 (31.7 percent) for the game.

The two teams were evenly matched with JWU's effort on the glass contributing to the victory. The Wildcats outrebounded Norwich, 52-42 as they snared at least 50 boards for the second time in three games. That advantage on the glass translated into 15 second-chance points, compared to just six for Norwich.

Leading JWU's rebounding effort was junior Bobbie Whitehead as she grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds. She also led the Wildcats with 17 points on 7-of-16 shooing, including a trio of three pointers.

Kristen Habbel (Phoenixville, Pa.) hit a three-pointer with 59 seconds left in the third quarter to put the Wildcats up 17, 52-35. The Cadets chipped away and went on a 9-2 run to get the deficit to 11, 58-47, on a Harrison jumper at the 3:32 mark. Ashley Thompson (Bellingham, Mass.) and Whitehead each hit jumpers down the stretch to secure the victory.

Next behind Whitehead in the scoring column was Thompson and guard Rachel Pederzani (Coventry, RI) at 11 points each. Pederzani also dished out five assists. For Thompson, it was her eighth-game in a row with double-double digit points.

Norwich is back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 12 against Simmons College for the 7 p.m. GNAC contest.