FRANKLIN, Mass. – Despite a 50-point second half, the Norwich University men’s basketball team could not overcome a slow start in the first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tilt of the new year, falling to Dean College, 89-81, at Pieri Gymnasium on Tuesday afternoon.

Donovan Lewis Jr. (Savannah, Ga.) and Owen Liss (West Suffield, Conn.) paced the Cadets offensively with strong inside play, with Lewis. Jr posting 21 points while Liss logged an 18-point, 13-board double-double. Kohlby Murray (Fair Haven, Vt.) snagged four steals to go with nine points, while Joe Joe DuBrul (Shelburne, Vt.) added nine points on a triage of treys off the bench.

After Liss opened the offensive output less than two minutes in, the Bulldogs began to roll and never looked back, building a quick double-digit lead, 14-4, seven minutes into the contest.  The lead would balloon to as large as 16 on a 7-0 run in the closing minutes, but the Cadets would fight to keep it within striking distance heading into halftime.

Back-to-back baskets from Lewis Jr. and Liss to kick off the second stanza would trim Dean’s lead back down to single-digits, and, despite attempts by the Bulldogs to stretch it back to double-figures, the Cadets would gradually whittle it down to as low as six with 3:46 remaining.

Dean succeeded in pushing the lead back to 11, before the Cadets had two more opportunities to climb out of six-point deficits.  Time would run short on the comeback bid, however, as AJ Weston iced the game with six free-throws in the final 32 seconds.

The Cadets held a 13-5 advantage in second chance points and a 20-19 edge in points off turnovers, but could not overcome Dean’s strong interior play, aided by five double-digit performers.  Weston led the way behind 18 points to go with four helpers.

Norwich will look to right the ship quickly, with a 6:00 p.m. battle on tap on Thursday, Jan. 5, at Elms College in Chicopee, Mass.