GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico - The Norwich University women's basketball put up a valiant effort in a back-and-forth showdown on Wednesday afternoon, ultimately falling to Case Western Reserve University, 73-60, in the final game of the DIII Puerto Rico Clasico at Coliseo Mario Morales.

Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) and Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) paced the effort offensively.  McGinn went 8-10 from the floor, including drilling a monumental trey, to finish with 18 points, while Brewster drilled a triage of three-pointers en route to a 16-point showing.  Silas Bernier (Jaffrey, N.H.) tallied nine points, seven caroms, and a team-best five helpers, while Sage MacAuley (Barre, Vt.) flirted with a double-double on seven points and 10 rebounds.

Brewster gave the Cadets the early lead on a freebie, but the Spartans claimed their first advantage just a minute later.  Momentum shifted late in Norwich's favor, as the Cadets ended the stanza on a 9-0 spurt.

CWRU embarked on a run of their own, dwindling the lead down to one, but Norwich again erupted, this time rushing out to an 11-point lead, capped off by five-straight points from Brewster.  The Spartans promptly responded, reclaiming the lead and rolling to a seven-point edge at the half.

Case Western Reserve would build a game-high 14-point lead minutes into the third quarter, but would swiftly have it evaporated.  Spurred by a McGinn layup, Norwich would erase a 46-32 deficit on a dominant 14-0 run.  McGinn pushed the Cadets ahead by five in the waning seconds, but Norwich could not hold on in the fourth quarter, despite remaining within two with just five and a half minutes left.

The Cadets and Spartans tied in points in the paint, 22-all, as well as in fast break points, 4-4.  The meeting marked the first ever between the two programs.

Norwich will return in the second semester with a three-game home-stand, first hosting the University of Maine-Farmington on Thursday, Jan. 4, in a 6:00 p.m. duel.  The Cadets will follow that up with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tilt with the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday, Jan. 6.