NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Time ran short on a comeback attempt by the Norwich University women's basketball team, who endured a 78-76 defeat to Regis College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest on Tuesday afternoon in Andrews Gymnasium.

Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) went 7-8 from the foul line to post a team-high 19 points alongside eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks to pace the effort.  Mallorie Chalmers (Milton, Vt.) had a career day off the bench, logging a 6-10 clip and tallying 14 points to round out Norwich's double-digit scorers.

The Pride thrived early from beyond the arc, scoring their first 12 points off of three-pointers en route to building a seven-point lead off a Madi Zancan and-one opportunity.  Norwich swiftly evaporated the deficit, embarking on a 6-0 spurt spurred by a Chalmers jumper.  Regis extended its edge back out, this time to nine, before freebies by McGinn in the waning milliseconds brought the lead down to seven.

The second quarter proved similar results, as the Cadets succeeded at trimming a double-digit Pride lead to five, until the visitors closed the final minute with five-straight points to claim a 10-point advantage at the break.

Tides turned late in the third stanza after Erika Marinelli gave Regis an 11-point advantage, as three-straight baskets by Sage MacAuley (Barre, Vt.) and Siobhan O'Donnell (Queens, N.Y.) brought a 56-47 edge down to four.  The Cadets finally overcame the hump early in the fourth quarter, when McGinn knotted the affair at 62-all before Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) knocked down a trey to give the Cadets their first lead of the night.

Regis promptly reclaimed the lead, but Norwich did not turn away from the challenge, again tying the tilt on a pair of Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) free-throws with 2:03 left.  It would be the closest the hosts would get, however, as clutch freebies and a late three-pointer by the Pride sealed the deal.

The Cadets led in a few categories, including maintaining a dominant 34-1 edge in bench points.  Norwich also held advantages in points in the paint (36-26) and second-chance points (14-6) while outrebounding the Pride, 49-36.

Prior to the contest, a moment of silence was held in honor of Jason Behenna, the longtime Sports Information Director at Regis College who tragically passed away suddenly this past November.  Behenna was in his seventh season at Regis and his 25th as an Athletic Communications professional.  He left an enduring legacy and impact within the field of Athletic Communications, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and athletics overall.

Norwich will hit the road for two straight games to close the month of January, first traveling to Dean College on Saturday, Jan. 25, for a 1:00 p.m. showdown.  The Cadets then cross state lines to battle Colby-Sawyer College on Wednesday, Jan. 29.