NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's basketball team tipped off the 2025-26 campaign in winning fashion on Friday evening, turning in a balanced effort in a 65-48 victory over in-state foe Vermont State University Castleton at Andrews Hall.

Freshman Sarah "Gracie" Laster (Triangle, Va.) made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, pouring in a team-high 20 points on an efficient 9-14 clip off the bench.  Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) added 17 points, while Cassidy Kittredge (Waterford, Vt.) posted 11 points and nine rebounds in a near double-double.  The trio combined to shoot 51.2% (21-41) from the field, pacing a Cadet offense that finished at 43.8% overall.

Norwich raced out to a quick 7-0 lead in the opening 90 seconds behind early buckets from O'Brien and Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine).  VTSU Castleton briefly responded to take an 11-9 lead, but Laster drilled a go-ahead three to restore momentum.  The Cadets held firm the rest of the quarter, closing the frame with a slim edge.

The Spartans clawed back again late in the second quarter, but Norwich responded with timely offense and strong defense.  O'Brien knocked down a late jumper to give the Cadets a 31-24 cushion heading into halftime.

Kittredge knocked down a triple to open the third quarter and pushed the lead to 15 with a jumper midway through the frame.  After a 7-0 run from the Spartans trimmed the gap to single digits, Norwich strung together a 5-0 burst of its own, highlighted by baskets from Laster, Zimmerman, and Jade Garceau (Fairfield, Vt.), to eventually take a 12-point advantage into the fourth.

VTSU Castleton pulled within nine points early in the final quarter, but Kittredge's jumper at the 5:36 mark stretched the lead back to double digits.  From there, Norwich slammed the door with a 9-1 run to close the game, holding the Spartans scoreless for over a six-minute span.

"I was particularly happy with our man-to-man defense this early in the season," said Head Coach Ute Otley.  "It was not perfect (too many fouls), but the effort and intensity made me optimistic that we can become a really tough defensive team."

The Cadets dominated the paint with a 38-20 scoring edge inside.  Norwich also held advantages in second-chance points (12-5), points off turnovers (19-14), and bench scoring (26-14), while forcing 24 VTSU Castleton turnovers.

Defensively, Norwich limited the Spartans to just 30.0% shooting from the floor and 25.0% from three-point range.  Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.) tallied six steals, while Kittredge and Zimmerman each recorded a block.

Norwich returns to Andrews Gym on Tuesday, Nov. 11, for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference contest against Gordon College.  The Cadets then embark on a four-game road swing, beginning Friday, Nov. 14, at Plymouth State University.