DUDLEY, Mass. - The Norwich University women's basketball team dropped its second-straight non-conference contest on Wednesday night, falling 63-53 to Nichols College inside the Nichols Athletic Center.

Jade Garceau (Fairfield, Vt.) paced the Cadets with team-highs in both points (12) and rebounds (9), finishing just shy of a double-double.  Cassidy Kittredge (Waterford, Vt.) chipped in nine points, while Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) and Maggi Ellsworth (West Topsham, Vt.) tallied eight points apiece.

After nearly a minute of scoreless action to start the game, Nichols struck first with back-to-back baskets to set an early tone.  Mallorie Chalmers (Milton, Vt.) answered for Norwich with a pair of free-throws to get the Cadets on the board, but a quick 5-0 run from the Bison extended the deficit.  Norwich flipped the momentum in a flash, however, uncorking a 10-0 burst behind contributions from Garceau, Zimmerman, and Siobhan O'Donnell (Queens, N.Y.) to take a 12-9 edge.

Nichols reclaimed the lead with consecutive three-pointers to close the first quarter and maintained the upper hand for most of the second.  Norwich hung tough, trimming the margin to one on two occasions before Garceau found Zimmerman for a crucial layup in the final seconds, knotting the game at 26-all heading into the break.

The Bison retook the lead early in the third quarter and would never trail again.  A 10-point Nichols run pushed the score to 41-31 midway through the frame, but Norwich responded with a late surge to cut the gap to four.  Three free-throws in the final minute gave the Bison a 46-39 advantage entering the final period.

Nichols stretched the lead to 11 early in the fourth, only to see the Cadets battle back once more, narrowing the gap to five with 5:39 remaining on a strip and score by O'Donnell.  That would be as close as Norwich would get, however, as the Bison iced the game with timely offense, eventually building a game-high 13-point cushion en route to the 10-point victory.

Despite the loss, Norwich held notable advantages in several statistical categories, outscoring Nichols in the paint (38-20), off turnovers (22-19), off the bench (16-4), and in second change opportunities (12-11).

The Cadets now head to New York City for a two-day tournament hosted by Baruch College, beginning with an 11:00 a.m. matchup against Rhodes College on Friday, Dec. 19.  Norwich will then face Mount St. Joseph University on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 1:00 p.m.  The Cadets return from the holiday break on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when they host Babson College at Andrews Hall.