NEW LONDON, N.H. – The Norwich University women's basketball team exacted revenge and led wire-to-wire on Tuesday night, collecting a crucial Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory in the biggest game of the year in a 66-58 win over Colby-Sawyer College at the David L. Coffin Fieldhouse.
Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) continued her dominant offensive tear, raining in a new season-high 35 points on 44.0% shooting and a 9-10 clip from the charity stripe. Rachel Botala (Grand Isle, Vt.) and Silas Bernier (Jaffrey, N.H.) were also pivotal in the win, tallying 12 and 11 points each, respectively.
The Cadets opened the contest on a string of baskets from Botala, Brewster, and Bernier, owning a 7-0 lead before the Chargers finally got on the board. Norwich did well to weather the storm despite Colby-Sawyer cutting the lead down to two, holding onto a five-point lead after the opening 10 minutes.
Norwich wasted no time kicking off the second quarter on a 5-0 run, extending the advantage to double digits on baskets from MacKenzie Moore (Georgia, Vt.) and Brewster. Colby-Sawyer found success at the free-throw line but could not contain the Cadets, who answered each CSC rally with a clutch bucket of their own.
The third quarter was much of the same, as the Chargers trimmed a nine-point halftime lead down to four, 36-32, before Norwich ended the stanza on an 8-2 run and entered the final frame with a 10-point lead.
The Cadets were in prime position to coast to a double-figure victory, owning an 11-point lead with one and a half minutes remaining until the Chargers rallied to slice Norwich's lead down to six with 37 seconds left. Clutch freebies down the stretch from Brewster and Brittany Graham (Rye, N.H.), however, iced the game in Norwich's favor.
"From the opening tip, our team played with intensity and a sense of urgency," Head Coach Mark Zacher said. "We talked about viewing each possession as if it was the game deciding play and, for the most part, I truly believe that our team followed through with that mindset. It was a good and satisfying win over a very competitive opponent."
Norwich held leads in points off turnovers (15-9) and second chance points (7-4).
Courtney Brewster led Colby-Sawyer off the bench with 20 points, while Marissa Holt and Megan Molettieri added 10 points apiece.
The win keeps Norwich alive in the tightening GNAC playoff race, ahead of the final game of the regular season on Saturday, which sees the Cadets host Anna Maria College at 1:00 p.m. A win by Norwich, paired with losses by Colby-Sawyer on Thursday and Saturday to Anna Maria and Johnson & Wales, will place the Cadets in the final playoff spot in the North Division.
Prior to tip-off on Saturday, the Cadets will honor five graduating seniors in Graham, Alexis Matte (Lebanon, N.H.), Katelyn DeSilvio (Chelmsford, Mass.), Bailey Reilly (Milton, Vt.), and Cadafe Williams, as part of the afternoon's Senior Day festivities.
