NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior Kayla Mercer (New Britain, Conn.) scored a team-leading 19 points in her home state on Tuesday as the Norwich University women's basketball team was defeated by Albertus Magnus College, 70-53. 

Norwich falls to 6-5 overall on the season while evening its Great Northeast Athletic Conference record at 2-2. The Falcons fly to 8-5 overall and to 3-1 within conference play, earning only their eighth victory against Norwich across 31 career match-ups since beginning the all-time series on Dec. 5, 1992. 

Mercer connected on four three-point baskets, scoring 19 points while adding two assists. Senior Heather LeBlanc (Sanford, Maine) added 12 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6-for-10 from the floor, while junior Shyann Josler (Thetford Center, Vermont) added 11 total points and six assists. 

LeBlanc scored on her team's first possession of the game, creating a 2-0 lead with only 23 seconds expired, but Albertus Magnus rattled off 14-straight points and never looked back. The Cadets would shrink the deficit to four after a Mercer triple with 7:28 left in the first half, but an 11-point run by the hosts created an insurmountable advantage. 

Josler would earn three points the hard way after being fouled on a layup, cutting the Falcons lead to 46-42 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter. Norwich would end up scoring 20 of the third quarter's 33 points, but Albertus Magnus would answer by outscoring the Cadets convincingly in the fourth quarter, 21-10. 

Neither team shot north of 40% in the contest, but the Cadets committed 25 turnovers while Albertus Magnus limited its miscues to only 10. The Falcons were led by 22 points from Olivia Bolden and 20 points from Liz Falcigno – both student-athletes played 37 minutes for the home team. 

The Cadets return home Thursday, Jan. 12, hosting Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 5:30 p.m. in Andrews Hall.