NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University women's basketball team could not secure their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory of the season, as Emmanuel College led wire-to-wire en route to topping the Cadets, 79-57, in a conference clash in Andrews Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) went 8-15 from the floor to pave the way for Norwich offensively, tallying a game-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds.
Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) supplied 11 points to round out Norwich's double-digit scorers.
Both teams exchanged baskets off the opening possessions, as Emmanuel's initial bucket by
Megan Reilly was neutralized by McGinn's first points. While the Saints broke the deadlock, Norwich remained close, including trimming Emmanuel's edge down to one, 8-7, on an O'Brien corner triple and again from a
Sage MacAuley (Barre, Vt.) layup.
The Saints broke out in the waning minutes, ending the first quarter on a 6-0 spurt that grew into a double-digit advantage in the second quarter. O'Brien and MacAuley generated a response halfway through the frame for Norwich to slice Norwich's advantage to seven, but a 14-2 run by the Saints stretched their edge to 19 at halftime.
While the Cadets kept within striking distance through the opening five minutes of the third quarter, the Saints asserted dominance, building a lead that blossomed to as large as 31 in the fourth frame. Norwich closed the affair on an 11-2 run to bring the final down to 22, capped off by a
Shenale Hadunnetthi Rannuluge (Flushing, N.Y.) jumper.
The Cadets maintained a 41.0% shooting clip while generating 19 Emmanuel miscues.
Desiree Robinson and
Paris Atuahene paced the Saints offensively, logging 12 points apiece. First-year
Madisun Hill shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor, finishing with 11 points.
Norwich returns home on Tuesday, Jan. 21, to close their two-game home stand with a 5:00 p.m. battle with Regis College. Emmanuel hosts the University of Saint Joseph on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in GNAC play.
**Release courtesy Norwich University Athletic Communications Office