NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 campaign with a commanding performance and a resilient finish, fending off a furious late rally to take down SUNY Canton, 87-73, in non-conference action on Friday evening inside Andrews Hall.

Senior transfer Michel Ndayishimiye (Colchester, Vt.) starred in his Cadet debut, pouring in a game-high 25 points on 10-13 shooting, including 4-5 from beyond the arc, while adding four assists.  Three other Cadets joined him in double figures, as Sharif Sharif (Burlington, Vt.) finished with 17 points, Mike Johnson-Correia (Mattapan, Mass.) chipped in 15, and Jordan Ricketts (Stratford, Conn.) added 11.  Johnson-Correia, Sharif, and Ricketts combined to go 15-17 from the foul line.

After SUNY Canton broke a scoreless opening 80 seconds with the first bucket of the game, Ndayishimiye quickly responded with back-to-back baskets to give Norwich its first lead.  The Roos stayed within striking distance early, trimming the Cadet advantage down to two on several occasions, before a run of buckets from Ricketts, Riley Severy (Barre, Vt.), and Charles Nogard (Arlington, Mass.) pushed the lead to seven.

Canton again closed the gap to three at the 7:35 mark, but a quick layup by Ndayishimiye ignited a rapid 8-0 Norwich burst in less than 40 seconds, punctuated by consecutive threes from Sharif and Niklas Nordberg (Fairfield, Pa.).  That flurry opened the floodgates, as the Cadets strung together a 13-2 run to stretch the margin to 41-21, capped by a triple from Johnson-Correia.

The Roos managed a late layup, but Johnson-Correia connected on another three to give Norwich its largest lead of the frame at 46-24.  SUNY Canton answered with a quick bucket just before the horn, but the Cadets entered the locker room with a 46-26 advantage.

Norwich kept its foot on the gas early in the second half, as Nogard and Sharif knocked down threes to make it a 52-29 game.  The Cadets maintained a lead hovering around 20 for most of the period, with a long-range make by Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) at the 7:20 mark reestablishing a 21-point cushion.

The Roos refused to go quietly, erupting for a 20-2 run over a five-minute span that cut Norwich's lead all the way down to 76-73 on a Bryon Streb dunk with 2:44 remaining.

With momentum hanging in the balance, Norwich responded with pose and execution.  Ndayishimiye, Johnson-Correia, and Ricketts fueled an 11-0 closing run that sealed the win.

The Cadets were dominant on the break, outscoring SUNY Canton, 29-9, in fast break points and holding a 24-14 edge in points off turnovers.  Norwich shot 14-27 (51.9%) from three-point range while limiting the Roos to just 5-18 (27.8%) from deep.  Johnson-Correia led the defensive effort with three steals, as the Cadets forced 17 SUNY Canton turnovers.

Norwich will now begin a three-game road swing, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 11, with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Plattsburgh State University.  The Cadets will then head to the Vermont State University Castleton Tournament, where they will face St. John Fisher University and the University of Maine-Farmington on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15, respectively.