NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Despite a strong second-half showing, the Norwich University men's basketball team could not overcome Albertus Magnus College, falling to the Falcons, 92-80, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) battle in Andrews Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

Three Cadets logged double-digits, with Owen Liss (West Suffield, Conn.) going a near-perfect 9-10 from the floor en route to 23 points, while Jalen Olivero (Holyoke, Mass.) knocked down five long-range shots to finish with 2 2points.  Charles Nogard (Arlington, Mass.) went 4-6 to add 13 points to round out Norwich's double-figure scorers.

The opening 10 minutes of the contest saw both teams exchange baskets, as Liss struck first for the Cadets over a minute into the affair before the Falcons rallied for six-straight points.  Liss and Donato Pakak (Sarasota, Fla.) knotted the game at 6-all, before the Falcons reclaimed a lead they would never relinquish.

Norwich continued to remain within striking distance, with Nogard and Mohammed Kanneh (South Burlington, Vt.) bringing the Cadets within five.  A Sharif Sharif (Burlington, Vt.) freebie halfway through the initial frame brought the score to 18-12 in favor of Albertus Magnus, but it would be the closest the hosts could get throughout the first half, as the visitors embarked on a 19-6 rally to take a 19-point edge.

Trailing by 16 at the half, the Cadets saw Albertus Magnus build its advantage to as large as 25, 74-49, before Norwich surged behind a 15-2 run to bring the Falcon lead to 12.  Another sequence of exchanged buckets saw the lead whittle down to 10, but the Cadets could not overcome the hump, as the Falcons secured the 12-point victory.

Ray Ford, Jr. led Albertus Magnus with 29 points, while Jayquan Kirkland, Kevin Crawford, and Tahijj Hunter added 18, 17, and 12 off the bench, respectively.

Norwich's offense was lights-out behind a 51.0% shooting clip and 42.1% mark from beyond the arc, all the while going 22-28 from the foul line.

The Cadets hit the road for their next outing, traveling to Elms College on Tuesday, Feb. 4, for a 7:00 p.m. clash.  Norwich then returns home for two straight tilts, hosting JWU (Providence) on Saturday, Feb. 8, and New England College on Wednesday, Feb. 12.