WESTON, Mass. - Despite a quadruplet of double-digit scorers, a historic record set by Rodrick Pearson (Hartford, Conn.), and a career outing by Jalen Olivero (Holyoke, Mass.), the Norwich University men's basketball team dropped a narrow 82-79 overtime heartbreaker to Regis College on Higgins Court in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash on Wednesday evening.

Olivero tied his career-high, knocking down four three-pointers to finish with 26 points off the bench.  Omarion Jett (Montclair, N.J.) followed with 15 points, while Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) and Donato Pakak (Sarasota, Fla.) added 11 points apiece.

With his second block at the 3:21 mark in the second half, Pearson broke a 37-year old program record for blocks in a single season, surpassing the mark of 52 set by Andre Woods during the 1986-87 season.  After finishing with four blocks against the Pride, Pearson currently sits with 55 blocks this season.

Norwich rolled early, largely thanks to an 11-0 stretch where Pakak tallied seven of those 11 points en route to the Cadets building a dominant 18-5 lead.  The Pride gradually recovered, trimming Norwich's lead back down to single digits but ultimately struggling to overcome the Cadets' lead.  Norwich held on to a four-point lead at the break.

Regis exploded out of the gates to create their own double-digit advantage, which they maintained for most of the half.  With a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining, the Pride appeared primed to steal victory, but a 13-0 run by the Cadets, with Olivero contributing 11 of those points, brought Norwich back within one.

DuBrul pushed Norwich ahead with 33 seconds left on a trey, before Russell Rau knotted the contest up at 67-all, eventually sending the game to overtime.

Olivero again gave the Cadets momentum as the extra session began, drilling a long-range shot on Norwich's opening possession, but it would be the only lead the Cadets maintained during the overtime period.  Facing a five-point hole with 28 seconds left, Charles Nogard (Oviedo, Fla.) brought Norwich within four on a freebie, before setting Olivero up for a three-pointer on a rebound after missing his second free-throw.

Cameron Wilkins extended the Pride's lead back to three on a pair of free-throws, setting up a back-and-forth scenario that gave the Cadets the ball back with 0.3 seconds left.  Norwich had a shot to tie things up and force the game to a second overtime, but the Cadets' touch-and-shoot attempt was whistled off as it went through the net, sealing the win for the Pride.

The Cadets dominated Regis in bench points (46-9) while holding on to an 11-5 lead in fast break points (11-5).  Norwich was 20-25 from the charity stripe, and forced 19 Pride turnovers.

Norwich will head back to the friendly confines of Andrews Hall for a pair of home games, first entertaining Dean College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, before hosting Colby-Sawyer College on Wednesday, Jan. 24.