NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The #4-seeded Norwich University women's basketball team punched its ticket to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals for the first time since 2017 on Wednesday evening, defeating #5 Lasell University, 75-61, in Quarterfinal action inside Andrews Hall.

A career performance from Maggi Ellsworth (West Topsham, Vt.) fueled the victory.  The freshman guard poured in 28 points on 7-of-10 shooting, knocked down a pair of three-pointers, and converted 12-of-14 attempts from the free-throw line while adding eight rebounds.  Gracie Laster (Arlington, Va.) provided 17 points off the bench on 6-of-12 shooting, and Cassidy Kittredge (Waterford, Vt.) narrowly missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

After an opening minute of offensive stalemate, Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) ignited the contest with a personal 5-0 run, staking Norwich to an early lead it would not relinquish.  Lasell responded with back-to-back layups during a four-minute Norwich scoring drought to trim the margin, but baskets from Ellsworth and Laster rebuilt a five-point edge.  When the Lasers again sliced the deficit to one, the Cadets closed the first quarter with a 5-0 burst, highlighted by consecutive buckets from Eleonore Collins (Waterville, N.Y.) and Laster in a 42-second span to take a 14-8 advantage.

Lasell remained within striking distance early in the second quarter, trailing 20-17 after the opening three-and-a-half minutes.  Norwich then seized full control.  The Cadets erupted for a decisive 16-2 run, featuring stretches of seven and eight unanswered points, capped by an Ellsworth three-pointer that pushed the lead to 17.  The teams traded four free throws in the final minute of the half, sending Norwich into the locker room with a commanding 40-23 cushion.

The third stanza belonged to the visitors early, as Lasell mounted a 16-7 surge over six minutes to cut the deficit to eight.  It would be as close as the Lasers would come the rest of the night.  Timely baskets from Laster and Ellsworth restored double-digit separation, and the duo combined for four straight points in the final 55 seconds of the quarter to extend the lead to 58-44 entering the fourth.

Norwich put the game out of reach in the opening minutes of the final frame.  An 8-0 run stretched the margin to a game-high 22 points at 66-44, punctuated by a Laster three-pointer off an Ellsworth assist.  After a brief 4-0 Lasell response, back-to-back baskets from Jade Garceau (Fairfield, Vt.) and Kittredge reestablished the 22-point edge.  The Cadets managed the closing minutes to secure the 14-point Quarterfinal victory.

Norwich controlled key statistical categories throughout the evening, holding advantages in bench scoring (26-9), points off turnovers (20-11), and second-chance points (10-8), while outrebounding Lasell, 46-37.  The Cadets shot an efficient 45.5 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, while limiting the Lasers to 33.8 percent shooting overall and 20.0 percent from three-point range.

The win marks Norwich's first GNAC Tournament victory in four years, dating back to a 58-48 triumph over Lasell in the GNAC Tournament Play-in Game.  The Cadets advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2017, when Norwich defeated Suffolk University in the Quarterfinals before falling to Emmanuel College in the Semifinal round.

Norwich will now travel to top-seeded Emmanuel College on Friday, Feb. 27, for a 6:00 p.m. GNAC Semifinal matchup.  The Saints advanced with a 62-38 victory over #8 New England College on Wednesday night.  Emmanuel defeated Norwich in the regular-season meeting on Feb. 17, earning a 70-49 decision at the Jean Yawkey Center in Boston, Mass.