NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's basketball team saw their undefeated start to the season come to an end in the finale of the 2024 Ed Hockenbury Classic, suffering a 72-64 misstep to Bryant & Stratton College (Albany) in a non-conference clash in Andrews Gym on Monday afternoon.

Owen Liss (West Suffield, Conn.), the reigning GNAC Player of the Week, tied the game-high, going 11-18 with a trio of three-pointers to finish with 27 points, seven boards, three blocks, two assists, and a steal.  Jalen Olivero (Holyoke, Mass.) tallied 15 points and seven caroms, while Kohlby Murray (Fair Haven, Vt.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points and four helpers.

The Bobcats set the tone early, striking first a minute and a half into the contest en route to securing a 14-2 lead before an Olivero trey set into motion a 9-0 spurt by the Cadets.  Norwich finally threaded the needle with three minutes remaining in the half, as Murray knotted the affair with a smooth jumper off a Liss assist.

The Cadets could not get over the hump, however, as Bryant & Stratton regained the lead and broke another deadlock, this time a 29-all contest, to take a five-point lead into halftime.

Norwich was able to whittle the lead down to one on a pair of occasions in the second half, rushing back from a nine-point deficit on two three-pointers from Liss and Olivero that book-ended a Mohammed Kanneh (South Burlington, Vt.) layup.  It was the closest the hosts would get, with the Bobcats surging forward with a double-digit advantage that eventually solidified into an eight-point win.

Norwich maintained slight advantages in points in the paint (28-26) and fast break points (11-10) while maintaining a 42.4% shooting clip.

Denali Burton led the Bobcats in their victory, posting a 27-point and 13-rebound double-double, while Zaveon Little also logged double-figures with 14 points.

For his efforts over the weekend, which included a 32-point outing and his 1,000th-career point against Elmira on Saturday evening, Liss was tapped to the All-Classic Team after Monday's game.

• All-Classic Team:
  • Elmira:
    • #2 Kelton Brown
  • Norwich:
    • #34 Owen Liss
  • Bryant & Stratton:
    • #13 Zaveon Little
    • #22 Denali Burton (Most Valuable Player)

The Cadets will hit the road for their final game before the holiday break, traveling to Vermont State University Lyndon on Wednesday, Dec. 11, for a 6:00 p.m. bout.  Norwich then heads south for the Florida Sunshine Shoot-Out for Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 clashes with Husson University and Penn College in Daytona Beach, Fla.