NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Norwich University women's basketball secured a pivotal Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win this afternoon, overcoming a halftime deficit behind a career-best performance from Rachel Botala (Grand Isle, Vt.) to take down Johnson & Wales University, 58-52, at Andrews Hall on Saturday afternoon.

Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) posted a game-high 20 points, followed by Botala's 18-point effort that was complemented by seven points and five assists.  Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) logged an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double on a 5-9 clip from the floor.

The defense was in full initiative to tip things off, as the Cadets held the Wildcats scoreless for the opening six minutes while coasting to a 10-0 lead.  Johnson & Wales found some life on a quarter-court heave that banked in at the buzzer at the end of the opening frame, leading into a second quarter that saw the Wildcats outscore Norwich, 22-9, and take a 28-23 lead at halftime.

The Cadets again came alive to kick off a stanza, as McGinn went on a personal 5-0 run that was capped off by a Brewster jumper to give Norwich a 30-28 lead less than two minutes in.  JWU would keep within striking distance, before Brewster knocked down two treys in the closing minutes to extend Norwich's edge to six heading into the final 10 minutes.

Fate favored Johnson & Wales out of the fourth-quarter gate, tying things up courtesy of a 4-0 spurt.  A clutch basket and free-throw from Botala, followed by three-straight freebies from Brewster and a pair from Silas Bernier (Jaffrey, N.H.), helped Norwich ice the game despite the Wildcats' best attempts.

"I am very proud of how our team started the game and even more so on how we responded in the second half when a very good Johnson & Wales team made a strong run to take the lead before halftime," Head Coach Mark Zacher said.  "We showed great poise and patience in following our game plan and executing what we needed to do to compete and win.  This is an excellent team victory for us at this point in our conference schedule."

Norwich held edges in points off turnovers (19-15) and points in the paint (26-18), while feasting on a 17-23 clip from the charity stripe.  The Cadets also rolled in the rebounding battle, hauling down 50 caroms to the Wildcats' 29.

The Cadets will next travel south to Paxton, Mass., for a 5:00 p.m. showdown at Anna Maria College on Thursday, Jan. 19.  Afterwards, Norwich will travel further to West Hartford, Conn. for a weekend tilt at the University of Saint Joseph.