BARRE, Vt. - The Norwich University men's basketball team will head into Thanksgiving break with a perfect 4-0 record, after topping intrastate rival Vermont State University Johnson, 85-70, at the historic Barre Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.

The Cadets' three-headed beast of upperclassmen paced the offensive effort, as Kohlby Murray (Fair Haven, Vt.), Owen Liss (West Suffield, Conn.), and Jalen Olivero (Holyoke, Mass.) combined for 24-51 shooting, knocking down nine combined treys and a perfect 9-9 mark from the charity stripe to finish with 66 points together.  Murray led the way with 23, while Liss and Olivero had 22 and 21, respectively.  Charles Nogard (Arlington, Mass.) rounded out Norwich's double-digit scorers, adding 10 points.

The Badgers asserted themselves early, taking a quick 4-0 lead and maintaining an advantage for over seven minutes until three-straight long range bombs from Murray, Liss, and Olivero pushed the Cadets ahead by five.  VTSU Johnson swiftly reclaimed the advantage, but eventually relinquished a 25-all tie on a Nogard triple and never retook their lead.

Instead, the Cadets promptly built a 10-point lead late in the opening stanza that was trimmed down to six just before the break.  VTSU Johnson kept it close out of the gates, whittling it to four, but the Cadets again grew their lead, taking a 12-point lead at one point on an emphatic dunk by Liss.

Spurred by a stretch that included a Donato Pakak (Sarasota, Fla.) trey, the Cadets' lead ballooned to as large as 18, never allowing the Badgers back into the affair.  Clutch baskets down the stretch by Murray and Liss, to go with a pair of freebies from Nogard, sealed the deal for Norwich.

Norwich committed just one turnover the entire game, while capitalizing on nine miscues by the Badgers, scoring 13 points off those misfeeds.  The Cadets also held advantages in second chance points (7-6) and fast break points (9-2) while maintaining a 32-32 deadlock in points in the paint.

A crucial part of the Cadets' success proved to come from beyond the arc, both offensively and defensively.  Norwich held VTSU Johnson to just 11.1% from long range, all the while knocking down 11 triples en route to a 44.0% clip.

The Cadets will return to the hardwood on Tuesday, Dec. 3, traveling to Vermont State University Randolph for a 6:30 p.m. clash.  Norwich then hosts the annual Ed Hockenbury Classic from Dec. 7-9, entertaining Elmira College and Bryant & Stratton College (Albany) in Andrews Gym.