CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Norwich University women's basketball team was unable to secure a victory in one of the most critical Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clashes of the season, falling at Elms College, 81-72, in Picknelly Arena on Tuesday evening.

Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) led a quadruplet of double-digit efforts for the Cadets, going 10-16 from the floor to finish with 23 points and eight caroms.  Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) knocked down four treys to tally 16 points, while Lily Briggs (Fair Haven, Vt.) added 11 points off the bench.  Kiley O'Brien (Kingston, Mass.) rounded out the Cadets with double-figures with 10 points.

Siobhan O'Donnell (Queens, N.Y.) opened up the scoring after both teams exchanged turnovers on their initial possessions, helping the Cadets surge to an early 13-5 advantage, their largest lead of the night.  It was shortlived, however, as the Blazers rattled off three-straight triples to take their first lead.  McGinn capped off Norwich's first 10 minutes, regaining the edge for the Cadets before the break.

Elms and Norwich exchanged leads throughout the opening minutes of the second frame, before a collection of three-pointers by the Blazers pushed them ahead by seven, giving the hosts a lead they never relinquished.  The Cadets remained close, whittling the Elms lead down to three on a long-range shot from Brewster in the waning seconds.

Another seven-point advantage by the Blazers was again trimmed down by the Cadets early in the third, courtesy of six-straight points by McGinn to bring the lead down to one.  Elms responded, building a double-digit lead early in the fourth stanza.  Brewster again brought the visitors within striking distance on a three-pointer with 45 seconds left to make it a six-point game, but free throws down the stretch by the Blazers sealed their victory.

The Cadets thrived inside, outscoring Elms, 28-18, in points in the paint, while also holding narrow advantages in fast break points (11-8) and second-chance points (10-6).  Norwich maintained a 41.4% shooting clip for the game, but deadly three-point shooting by the Blazers, including 15-made triples, proved to be a difference-maker.

Five different Blazers netted double-digits, spearheaded by Rahmia Johnston's 17 points.

With the race for a spot in the 2025 GNAC Tournament ramping up, the Cadets will now return home for a pair of critical showdowns, first hosting JWU (Providence) on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1:00 p.m.  Norwich then battles New England College in the friendly confines of Andrews Gymnasium on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 7:00 p.m.