NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Sophomore Courtney Erickson (Everett, Mass.) picked up Most Valuable Player honors for the Trinity (Conn.) College women's basketball team on Saturday, helping the Bantams to a 56-50 victory over Norwich University in the Ed Hockenbury Classic championship game. 

Trinity improves to 4-1 on the year and claimed its second-consecutive Hockenbury Classic title. Norwich evens its overall record at 3-3 following the six-point loss in Andrews Hall. 

Norwich senior Heather LeBlanc (Sanford, Maine) earned All-Tournament honors after leading the Cadets with 21 points and 11 rebounds. By shooting 9-for-10 from the floor, she ties the all-time single game record with a .900 field goal percentage – only three other student-athletes in the team's history have shot an equivalent figure. 

Senior Leanne Winans (Hudson, N.H.) hauled in 10 rebounds for Norwich while junior Arianna Harrison (Vernon, Vt.) reeled in nine rebounds. Junior Shyann Josler (Thetford Center, Vt.) scored eight points, tying with senior Kayla Mercer (New Britain, Conn.) for second place on the team in point scoring. 

The Bantams opened the game on an 8-0 run before forcing a Norwich timeout with 5:19 to go in the first quarter. Erica Junquet would add to her team's lead, building a nine-point lead with 31 seconds to go following back-to-back free throw makes. Josler and LeBlanc would make layups down the stretch, but the Bantams would capture a 16-11 lead through the first 10 minutes. 

Norwich took its first lead of the game with 1:08 to go in the first half as a Josler trey preceded a jumper from sophomore Victoria Brown (Lexington, Mass.), creating a 24-22 advantage. A late free throw make by LeBlanc would propel Norwich to a 25-22 halftime lead. 

Erickson would single-handedly give her team the lead in the third quarter. Down by a 31-29 margin, Erickson scored six-straight points before Rebecca Reifler bombed a three-point basket to set Norwich down by a 38-31 score with 1:49 to go in the third quarter. Brown would counter with another triple, but a late layup by Erickson created an eight-point lead heading into the fourth. 

Trinity added insurance in the fourth quarter, creating a 10-point lead by scoring first in the final stanza. A 6-0 run for the Bantams would create a 14-point lead only 1:56 into the fourth and a trey from Aubree Udell with 7:09 to go created a game-high 15 point lead. Norwich would cut the lead to six points on three separate occasions down the stretch, but could not complete the comeback. 

Erickson finished with 18 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-for-9 from both the floor and the charity stripe. Kaitlin Lewis also earned All-Tournament Team distinction after posting 12 points, six rebounds and a team-leading five assists. Reifler added 10 points in the victory. 

Bridgewater State University took home a win in the consolation contest over the University of Maine at Augusta, capturing third place in the tournament with a 75-56 win over the Moose. 

The Bears had four players score in double-digits, including Stephanie DeSantis' 18 points. Rhiana Page scored 16 points while Christine Curran scored 11. Jennifer Whyte scored 10 points off the bench while Tianna Johnson handed out nine assists. Page captured All-Tournament honors for Bridgewater State, who shot 56.9% as a team from the floor (29-for-51). 

Caitlin LaFountain scored 27 points for the Moose, shooting 11-for-14 from the floor. She also tabulated six assists while Jamie Plummer, her team's All-Tournament selection, posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Lindsey Clark threw up two blocks for Maine-Augusta. 

ED HOCKENBURY CLASSIC
TOURNAMENT RECAP

GAME ONE: Norwich 53, Me.-Augusta 48

GAME TWO: Trinity (Conn.) 63, Bridgewater St. 48 

CONSOLATION GAME (THIRD PLACE): Bridgewater St. 75, Me.-Augusta 56

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Trinity (Conn.) 56, Norwich 50 

All-Tournament Team
Rhiana Page – Bridgewater St.
Jamie Plummer – Me.-Augusta
Heather LeBlanc – Norwich
Kaitlin Lewis – Trinity (Conn.)
Courtney Erickson – Trinity (Conn.) 

Most Valuable Player
Courtney Erickson – Trinity (Conn.)