NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's basketball team opened the 2026 calendar year with a spirited effort but came up short in a 82-69 setback to visiting Babson College in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon inside Andrews Hall.

Two freshmen Cadets spearheaded the offensive effort off the bench, as Cassidy Kittredge (Waterford, Vt.) finished 8-14 from the floor for a team-high 16 points.  Gracie Laster (Arlington, Va.) added 12 points in just 19 minutes of action, while Maggi Ellsworth (West Topsham, Vt.) chipped in nine points.

Babson struck early, scoring on two early possessions in the first 90 seconds before Siobhan O'Donnell (Queens, N.Y.) drained a three off a Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.) assist to put the Cadets on the board.  Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) followed shortly after with a pair of layups to give Norwich its first lead of the afternoon, and the Cadets continued to control the pace, building a seven-point cushion on a Laster jumper.  Babson responded with a surge to end the frame, trimming the deficit to 18-17 after one.

The Beavers regained the lead early in the second quarter, kicking off a back-and-forth stretch featuring several lead changes.  A free throw from Mallorie Chalmers (Milton, Vt.) tied the game at 27-all midway through the stanza, before back-to-back triples gave Babson a lead it would never surrender.  The Beavers pushed their advantage to 11 late in the half, but two free throws from Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) cut the gap to 42-33 heading into the break.

Babson came out firing to start the third, reeling off an 11-0 run behind three consecutive three-pointers to balloon the margin to 20, 53-33.  Norwich refused to fold, answering with a steady push to chip away at the deficit.  Baskets by Ellsworth and Kittredge brought the margin to 11 twice, and a Laster jumper in the closing seconds made it 61-52 entering the fourth.

The Beavers kept Norwich at arm's length over the opening minutes of the final quarter, but the Cadets continued to battle.  A 9-3 run, capped by a Jade Garceau (Fairfield, Vt.) layup, brought the score to 73-69 with under four minutes remaining, the closest Norwich would come.  Babson slammed the door with nine unanswered points to close the contest and escape with the win.

Despite the loss, the Cadets held several statistical advantages, including a commanding 45-26 edge in bench points, with a 30-8 margin in the second half alone.  Norwich matched Babson in points in the paint (36-36), while also dominating the interior after halftime (22-12).  The Cadets shot a strong 43.9% from the field and outrebounded the Beavers, 48-42.

Norwich will look to bounce back on Wednesday, Jan. 14, as the Cadets open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off against Dean College.  The three-game homestand concludes on Saturday, Jan. 17, with a 1:00 p.m. matchup against Saint Joseph's College of Maine, the reigning GNAC runners-up.