BARRE, Vt. – The Norwich University women's basketball team registered its first victory of the season with a convincing 68-51 win over Northern Vermont University-Johnson in the team's opening game of the

Granite City Shootout on Friday evening at the Barre Auditorium. 

Norwich (1-3) used standout performances in the second and fourth quarters to quell any momentum gains by NVU-Johnson (0-5) en route to victory. The Cadets outscored the Badgers 43-22 in those two quarters to build its advantage. Defensively, the Cadets held their opposition to just 22.2 percent from the field and just 18.5 percent from distance. Norwich was aggressive on offense leading to 26 opportunities at the free-throw line where it converted 21 of them. 

The Cadets opened the game by running out to a quick 5-0 lead thanks to a three-pointer by junior guard Riley Bennett (Hopkinton, N.H.) and a jumper by senior forward KristieAnn DeSilvio (Chelmsford, Mass.). However, NVU-Johnson battled right back with six-straight points to take a 6-5 lead. After the teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, Bennett hit her second three of the game to give Norwich a 10-8 lead at the 5:56 mark of the first quarter. The Cadets would proceed to go ice cold from the field through to the end of the opening period hitting on just one of its attempts while the Badgers ended the stanza on a 7-2 run to take a 15-12 lead into the second quarter. 

Norwich would go to work in the second quarter scoring 20 points while holding the Badgers scoreless over a three-minute period in the middle of the quarter. Junior guard Julia Vigorito (Malden, Mass.) rallied the Cadets with six points while the reserves kicked in with half of the scoring output in the second quarter. Junior forward Kailynne Frederick () hit both of her free throws with 24 seconds remaining in the half to give the Cadets a 32-25 lead heading into the break. 

Both teams came out of halftime flat failing to register a made field goal for almost five minutes. Despite only making one of its attempts from the floor in the third period, Norwich converted on 11-of-12 free throws to hold onto a 45-39 lead heading into the final quarter. 

A layup by Vigorito and a three-pointer by Bennett extended the lead to 50-39 with less than a minute having ticked off the clock in the fourth. Bennett scored seven-straight points for Norwich in the middle of the period to push its lead to 61-47 before junior forward Caleigh Travers (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) notched six-straight points to make it 67-50 and essentially ice the Cadets' first win of the 2019 season. 

Bennett led all scorers with a career-high 23 points which included a 5-of-9 performance from beyond the arc. Vigorito also had a career night registering a career-best in points (18) and rebounds (13) to give her her first double-double whilst donning the maroon and gold. Frederick recorded the third double-double of her career with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds off the bench. 

Norwich will return to action at the Granite City Shootout tomorrow at noon hoping to make it two in a row as it matches up against NVU-Lyndon.