NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's basketball team started off their 2019 schedule on Friday afternoon, falling to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Anna Maria by a 74-51 final score in Andrews Hall Gymnasium. 

After both teams opened the game scoreless for the first two and a half minutes of play, the AMCATS went on a 16-3 run to open things up. They bested themselves with a 17-2 run to close out the first half and entered the break with a commanding 46-14 lead. Although Norwich outscored Anna Maria 37-28 in the second half, it was not nearly as the AMCATS cruised to the 74-51 victory and their first GNAC win of the year. 

Dan Bertrand (Saugus, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with 12 points, three steals, and a pair of rebounds, while Donovan Lewis Jr. (Savannah, Ga.) had 13 points and a pair of blocks. 

Mike Rapoza led Anna Maria with a 13 point, 14 rebound double-double and Bobby Perette poured in a game-high 16 points. 

The loss drops Norwich down to 6-6 overall this year and a 0-1 mark in the conference. They'll be back in action on the road on Tuesday when they travel to Johnson & Wales for another GNAC showdown.