BOSTON, Mass. - The Norwich University men's basketball team traded runs and momentum swings throughout Tuesday evening's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash at Emmanuel College, but a late Saints surge proved decisive in a 76-66 setback inside the Jean Yawkey Center.

Jordan Ricketts (Stratford, Conn.) led three Cadets in double figures, pouring in 22 points on an efficient 8-10 shooting performance.  Charles Nogard (Arlington, Mass.) knocked down three triples on his way to 17 points, while Michel Ndayishimiye (Colchester, Vt.) added 16 to pace Norwich's balanced offensive effort.

Norwich wasted no time asserting itself.  Ndayishimiye buried a three-pointer just 14 seconds into the contest, and the Cadets surged ahead 7-2 over the opening 100 seconds behind consecutive baskets from Ndayishimiye and Nogard.  Emmanuel answered with a 7-0 run to seize its first lead and gradually stretched the margin to six by the 9:04 mark.

The Cadets clawed back behind buckets from Nogard and Ndayishimiye before Ricketts drained a three-pointer off a Mohammed Kanneh (South Burlington, Mass.) assist to push Norwich back in front.  Emmanuel reclaimed the edge and kept the Cadets at arm's length, but Norwich refused to let the deficit grow.  Holding the margin within five in the closing minutes, Ricketts attacked the rim for a late layup that trimmed the Saints' lead to 35-32 at halftime.

The second half opened with more of the same tension.  Emmanuel built a seven-point cushion on consecutive baskets, only to see Ricketts respond with four straight points to ignite a 10-2 Norwich rally.  An Ndayishimiye layup capped the surge, giving the Cadets a 42-41 advantage.  Mike Johnson-Correia (Mattapan, Mass.) followed with a key bucket to maintain the lead before another Emmanuel push created separation at 52-44.

Norwich answered emphatically once again.  Back-to-back-to-back triples from Nogard, Ricketts, and Johnson-Correia fueled a 9-0 run that swung the lead back to the Cadets.  After Emmanuel briefly countered, Nogard delivered a personal 4-0 burst with 6:06 remaining to hand Norwich a 57-56 edge.

The Saints, however, seized momentum down the stretch, closing on a decisive run to pull away and secure the 10-point victory.

Despite the result, Norwich controlled the glass, outrebounding Emmanuel 40-36, including a 9-4 edge on the offensive boards that translated into a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points.  The Cadets maintained a steady 41.3 percent shooting clip for the contest.

Norwich will now turn its attention to a must-win Senior Day finale on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Elms College to Andrews Hall for a 3:00 p.m. tip.  A victory would solidify the Cadets' place in next week's GNAC Tournament, as Norwich enters the regular-season finale in a four-way tie for seventh place with Elms, Regis College, and Rivier University.  Prior to tip-off, Ndayishimiye and Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) will be honored as part of Senior Day festivities.