NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - The Norwich University women's basketball team opened play at the 2025 New York City Invitational with a hard-fought 69-64 loss to Rhodes College on Friday morning at Baruch College's ARC Arena.

A pair of Cadets reached double figures in the scoring column, with Maggi Ellsworth (West Topsham, Vt.) tallying 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Siobhan O'Donnell (Queens, N.Y.) adding 10 points and a team-high three steals.  Gracie Laster (Arlington, Va.) chipped in with nine points, also off the bench.

Jessica Zimmerman (Turner, Maine) got Norwich on the board early with a jumper on the opening possession, and after a quick Rhodes response, Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.) connected from deep to spark a back-and-forth stretch.  The Lynx used an 8-0 run to build a 12-6 lead, but Norwich punched back, closing the first quarter on a 6-0 rally featuring layups from Eleonore Collins (Waterville, N.Y.), Cassidy Kittredge (Waterford, Vt.), and Laster to claim a 19-17 edge after 10 minutes.

O'Donnell helped Norwich push the lead to five early in the second on an and-one finish, but Rhodes quickly battled back, reclaiming the advantage after a short-lived Norwich lead on a Laster basket.  The Lynx closed the half on a 10-1 run, sending the Cadets into the locker room facing a 38-31 deficit.

Norwich came storming out of the break, answering a seven-point gap with a 9-0 run behind senior scoring from Mallorie Chalmers (Milton, Vt.), O'Donnell, and Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) to retake the lead, 43-41.  The Cadets continued to trade go-ahead buckets with the Lynx, but another key run in the closing minutes of the third, this time 11-0 in favor of Rhodes, handed the Lynx a 56-47 edge entering the fourth.

The Cadets refused to go away, never allowing the deficit to reach double digits and trimming it to four on multiple occasions.  Despite the rally, timely scores down the stretch, including a late and-one from the Lynx, sealed the game in Rhodes' favor.

Norwich outscored Rhodes from the floor, 60-59, and held statistical edges in bench points (30-17) and fast break points (13-8).  The Cadets finished 43.5% from the field and 37.5% from three, but were undone by the Lynx's 10 made free throws, which proved decisive in the final margin.

Norwich will close the 2025 calendar year on Saturday afternoon, squaring off with Mount St. Joseph University at 1:00 p.m. in the final game of the NYC Invitational.  The Cadets will then return to action after the New Year with a home contest against Babson College on Jan. 7 at Andrews Hall.