NORTHFIELD, VT - After a hard-fought push in the fourth quarter to force overtime, the Anna Maria College (6-15, 2-5 GNAC) dropped a tight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest to the Norwich University Cadets (7-13, 3-4 GNAC), 69-60 at Andrews Gym Tuesday evening. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Norwich started the game strongly on a 9-2 run while they shot 46.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range in the quarter. Riley Bennett (Hopkinton, NH) highlighted the run with five points that included a three-pointer. Anna Maria surged back quickly with four straight points after Sierra Johnson (Brockton, MA) and Sienna Johnson (Brockton, MA) each knocked down jumpers to cut the deficit to three (9-6).
• The Cadets responded with five quick points of their own and pushed the lead to eight (14-6) after an Emily Schromm (North Attleboro, MA) three-pointer with 1:36 left in the quarter. However, the 'CATS cut the lead to three (14-11) one more time before the end of the quarter with a quick five-point surge after Amber Wilson (New York, NY) made two free-throws and Sienna Johnson knocked down a three-pointer. 
• When the second quarter began, Norwich started with another big run (10-2) to give them their biggest lead in the evening (14, 27-13). In that run, Kailynne Frederick (Adams, MA) paced the Cadets with four points, and two other Norwich student-athletes each had three points (Bennett and Schromm). As the quarter went on, the AMCATS cut the 14-point lead down to as little as four (29-25). During the 12-2 run, Sienna Johnson had the hot hand with seven points that included a three-pointer. Hailey Vergara (Rialto, CA) also made a three for the squad and Wilson had a jumper.
• Anna Maria nearly took their first lead of the game when they started the quarter on a 5-2 run and made the Norwich advantage just one (33-32). Sierra Johnson knocked down a jumper and then Franchesca Hammond (Worcester, MA) hit a three-pointer. Bennett answered with a three of her own to give Norwich a three-point lead again (35-32) but the AMCATS had yet another response when Sierra Johnson hit another jumper to make the Cadet lead one again (35-34).
• However, the Cadets increased their lead to double-digits again when they utilized a 7-0 run (47-34) behind three points from Bennett and Frederick along with with a Julia Vigorito (Malden, MA) jumper. 
• Going into the fourth quarter down nine (53-42), Anna Maria had a massive 15-6 run that lasted the entire quarter as the squad forced overtime (58-58). Before they got there, Anna Maria grabbed their first lead when the AMCATS generated a 13-2 run (56-54) once again spearheaded by Sienna Johnson and her seven points. Ashley Rufo (Pittsfield, MA) chipped in four points that included the basket that started the run, and the layup that gave the squad the lead. Wilson also had a made layup in the spurt for the 'CATS. 
• At 2:23, Schromm gave Norwich the lead again when she hit a layup to make it 58-56. Neither school could find a basket until 31 seconds left when Sierra Johnson made a driving layup to tie the contest at 58-58 and Norwich could not get a shot at the end of the quarter and the game headed into overtime. 
• Overtime was all Norwich as they outscored Anna Maria by an 11-2 margin led by Bennett and Frederick's four points along with a bucket from Vigorito and a free throw by Schromm to give Norwich the 69-60 win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Sienna Johnson had a team-high 21 points, and Sierra Johnson and Wilson were the other scorers in double figures (12 points). 
• Wilson grabbed her eighth double-double with a team-leading, 11 rebounds.
• Bennett had a game-high 27 points for Norwich. Meanwhile, Frederick had a double-double (23 points, 15 rebounds), and Schromm had 11 points to round out the top-three scorers for the hosts. 
• Anna Maria forced 22 Cadets turnovers compared to the AMCATS 15. 
• Norwich outshot the squad in the evening shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three. Whereas Anna Maria had shooting percentages of 34.3 from the field and 17.9 from three.

WHAT'S NEXT

Anna Maria has some time off before they return home for GNAC play against Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday, February 12 at 5:30 PM. Norwich hits the road heading to SUNY Delhi on Thursday, February 6 at 5:30 PM.

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