NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's basketball team dropped their final non-conference game of the regular season, falling in a back-and-forth 82-73 clash with Nichols College in Andrews Gymnasium on Thursday evening.

Three different Cadets logged double-digits in the high-octane offensive affair, as Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) led all scorers with 22 points, including four treys to go with four steals.  Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) tallied 14 points and nine caroms, while Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) recorded a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Norwich stormed out of the gates roaring offensively, rattling off a swift 9-0 run while holding the Bison scoreless for nearly four minutes.  Despite Nichols recovering to bring the Cadet lead down to two, Norwich promptly answered off a McGinn trey, helping extend the advantage as the Cadets carried a five-point lead into the first break.

The second quarter featured a back-and-forth showcase that saw the Bison claim their first edge on back-to-back three pointers, before Brewster pushed Norwich back ahead on a pair of baskets.  Nichols reclaimed the lead at the 5:40 mark, keeping the Cadets back from regaining the lead until the closing seconds, when O'Brien knocked down a layup off a Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) feed to give Norwich a 39-38 halftime advantage.

The Bison captured momentum on the third quarter's initial basket, but Norwich did not go away quietly.  Clutch baskets by Erika Thomas (Burlington, N.C.) and Mallorie Chalmers (Milton, Vt.) brought the Cadets to deadlocks with Nichols, as a late spurt by the visitors sent the Bison into the final 10 minutes with a 56-51 lead.

Nichols gradually built their lead throughout the opening sequences of the fourth frame, but a 68-61 lead was quickly erased by an 8-0 run, capped off by a Zimmerman layup.  The Cadet run was not to be, however, as the Bison surged ahead by ending the contest on a 14-4 run to seal the deal.

The Cadets decimated Nichols on the glass, outrebounding the Bison, 60-33, while forcing 28 Bison miscues.  Norwich maintained a 37.9% shooting clip from the floor and a 17-21 mark from the foul line, while outscoring Nichols, 14-5, on second-chance points.

Alyvia Smith led a quadruplet of double-digit scorers for the Bison, tallying 20 points.

Norwich steps back into Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action for a pair of road clashes, first traveling to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday, Jan. 11, for a 1:00 p.m. battle.  The Cadets then head to Rivier University on Wednesday, Jan. 15, before returning home to host rival Emmanuel College on Saturday, Jan. 18.