NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University women's basketball team fell in their first contest of the New Year to Lasell in Great Northeast Athletic Conference, falling 72-59 Saturday afternoon in Andrews Hall.

Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the contest, and Hannah Stitely (Westminster, Md.) scored a new career-high with 14.

Meg Carroll of Lasell scored 21 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double and Juju Nealy added 19 points, and Jasmine Depina and Brooke Damboise both scored 10 points, to round out the four Laser double-digit scorers.

The Cadets jumped out early, scoring the first five points of the contest, before Lasell's Meg Carroll made a layup to put the Lasers on the scoreboard. The Cadets saw their lead cut to down to one, but the Cadets did not trail in the first quarter closing the first quarter with a 15-10 lead.

Norwich scored the opening five points of the second quarter before the Lasers were able to cut the lead back to five with 6:06 remaining, 22-17.

With 1:10 remaining in the first half, Depina kicked off a 6-0 run that was capped off by Nealy converting a layup in the closing seconds of the half, as the Lasers took their first lead of the game at 33-32.

Lasell would not relinquish that lead through the rest of the contest, outscoring Norwich by five points in the third quarter, holding a 49-43 advantage, before scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter while playing solid defense, ending the fourth quarter outscoring the Cadets by seven in the frame. 

Norwich (4-6, 2-1 GNAC) will travel to Paxton, Mass. on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. facing off against Anna Maria.  On Saturday, Jan. 15 the Cadets will visit the Monks of Saint Joseph's College for a 1 p.m. tilt.