WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - A strong second quarter from the University of Saint Joseph squandered the Norwich University women's basketball team's hopes of victory in a 72-56 loss for the Cadets in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the O'Connell Center on Saturday afternoon.

Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) drained four bombs to tie the game-high with 20 points, while Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) went 7-11 from the floor to post 14 points.  Both Brewster and McGinn finished with six caroms, while Rachel Botala (Grand Isle, Vt.) tied her career-high in assists with seven helpers.

Norwich opened the affair with a McGinn put-back, before back-and-forth baskets eventually favored the Blue Jays, who broke a 9-all deadlock on a Jordan Farrell jumper, capturing a lead they would never relinquish.

USJ rushed out of the gates in the second quarter, turning a two-point edge into eight on a 6-0 run in less than a minute, building a lead that grew to as large as 18 in the frame.

The Cadets found some momentum in the third stanza, trimming the Blue Jays' lead down to 11 on a 7-0 run on baskets from Brittany Graham (Rye, N.H.), McGinn, and Brewster, before a pair of baskets from Farrell halted the storm.

The Blue Jays would push their lead back to over 20 in the final quarter, until back-to-back layups from the Cadets in the closing 38 seconds resulted in the 72-56 final.

Despite the loss, the Cadets shot a blistering 46.9% from the floor, all the while posting 30 points in the paint.

Norwich will return home for a pair of GNAC contests in the friendly confines of Andrews Hall, first hosting cross-divisional foe Regis College at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25.  The Cadets will then take on North Division rival Rivier University on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 3:00 p.m.