Cadets Edge Women’s Basketball, 64-61

PAXTON, MA: The Anna Maria College women's basketball team lost 64-61 to visiting Norwich University on Monday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the Fuller Center in Paxton.                                                                                                                            

THE BASICS:

• Date: Monday, January 24, 2022
• Score: Norwich 64, Anna Maria 61
• Records: Cadets of Norwich 5-7, 3-2 GNAC | AMCATS of Anna Maria 2-11, 1-6 GNAC

THE GAME WAS DECIDED WHEN:

• Norwich appeared to be taking control as the first quarter transitioned into the second, going on a 12-0 run to go up by double-digits before three-pointer from Anna Maria senior guard Mariah Carey (Worcester, MA) – newly returned to the lineup – finally broke up the rally. That basket sparked a 15-2 run by the AMCATS as their full-court pressure forced a series of turnovers by the visitors, as Anna Maria tied the game at 28-28 with 2:43 remaining in the half off a free throw from senior guard and team captain Franchesca Hammond (Worcester, MA). The Cadets went into halftime leading 33-31.           
• The second half repeatedly saw Norwich start to pull away with Anna Maria rallying time and time again to keep it close. Down by seven with 3:28 left in the game, the AMCATS turned to their seniors to get back in it. After Hammond buried a three-pointer, Anna Maria senior guard Ashley Rufo (Pittsfield, MA) picked up back-to-back steals in the open court, drawing two made foul shots on the first and floating in a layup on the second to tie it up at 3:06 remaining. After a Norwich layup, Carey buried her third three-pointer of the game to give the AMCATS their first lead of the game at 61-60 with 2:24 to go. That remained the score with 30.3 seconds left when – with the shot clock winding down - Norwich freshman guard Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, VA) buried a clutch three-pointer to put the Cadets back up two. Then with ten seconds remaining, Norwich stole the ball to force Anna Maria to foul. Brewster made the first but missed the second, giving Anna Maria a final chance with three seconds left. A three by Reddin was off the mark, and the Cadets escaped with the win.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Brewster – a two-time GNAC Rookie of the Week this season – scored eight of the Cadets first twelve point on route to a 26-point performance, with a game-high 11 rebounds and 50 percent shooting.
• Anna Maria freshman forward Marinique Reddin (Tampa, FL) – recognized on the GNAC Honor Roll for this past week – continued her stellar rookie season with 17 points while pulling down nine boards and shooting an impressive 54 percent from the floor.
• Hammond, after a game away, returned to the AMCAT lineup in exciting fashion, scoring 14 points while dishing out a game-high six assists and five steals.
• Norwich freshman forward Maren McGinn (Georgia, VT) was a force inside for the Cadets, scoring 14 points with ten rebounds for a double-double.
• Carey and Rufo each added 11 points for the AMCATS.
• Norwich freshman guard Erika Thomas (Burlington, NC) chipped in with five points and seven rebounds for the Cadets.
• Edges in rebounding and shots from downtown played key roles in the Cadets' win. Norwich outrebounded Anna Maria 54-34 with a 37.5-20.6 advantage in three-point shooting percentage.
• Anna Maria last beat Norwich on January 31^st, 2019, a 58-49 home win.

UP NEXT:

The AMCATS and the Cadets will have a quick turnaround as they will be back on the court on Wednesday when they play at Norwich in a 5:00 p.m. game.

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