Women’s Basketball: Norwich falls in GNAC opener despite strong start

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2022-23 WBB Brittany Graham action shotJasmine Olson BOX SCORE Norwich Logo 55 Norwich 4-4, 0-1 Rivier Logo 77 Rivier 5-5, 2-0 Score By Periods Team 1 2 3 4 F Norwich 16 11 14 14 55 Rivier 6 20 27 24 77 Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | 12/7/2022 9:20:00 PM

NASHUA, N.H. – Despite building an early 13-point lead, the Norwich University women’s basketball team could not maintain its strong initial advantage, suffering a 77-55 setback to Rivier University in the Cadets’ Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener on Wednesday evening at Muldoon Gymnasium.

Haley Brewster (Virginia Beach, Va.) led all scorers in a full 40 minutes of play, logging an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double in the losing effort.  Both Rachel Botala (Grand Isle, Vt.) and Brittany Graham (Rye, N.H.) tallied 10 points apiece, with Graham also posting a double-double with 10 caroms.

Six of Graham’s 10 came in the first quarter, when Norwich rolled after taking a 7-6 lead with 5:32 left in the frame, ending the opening 10 minutes on a 9-0 run.  The Cadets would extend their advantage right out of the gate of the first break, with Brewster knocking down a trey on the opening possession to give Norwich its largest lead of 13, 19-6.

After another long-range shot from Brewster kept Norwich’s 13-point lead intact minutes into the second, the Raiders embarked on a 15-3 run to cap off the quarter, with reigning GNAC Player of the Year Lyric Grumblatt drilling a buzzer-beater to bring Rivier to within one.

In a reverse of the second stanza, the Raiders’ Hannah Muchemore would drain a jumper on the opening possession of the new half that would give Rivier a lead they would never relinquish.  The Cadets kept within striking distance, but another buzzer-beater, this time by Muchemore, stretched the Raiders’ lead to 12.  A three-pointer from Muchemore would give Rivier its largest lead of 24 late in the final frame, before a final shot from Brewster would bring the score to its final.

Muchemore led the Raiders with 17 points, while Grumblatt recorded 16 points in the win.  Alexa Dufries, Brianna Wilcox, and Anna Stenger registered 14, 14, and 13 points, respectively.

The Cadets will close out the first semester of the season on Saturday, Dec. 10, hosting GNAC cross-divisional foe Albertus Magnus College in a 1:00 p.m. duel.