Looking to pick up their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference win of the season, the Norwich Cadets battled it out with the Suffolk Rams in Andrews Hall on Thursday night and came out on top, 64-57.

The Cadets (5-6, 1-3 GNAC) were led by junior Antonio Davis, who recorded his third double-double in as many games. Davis netted 19 points while contributed 16 boards and earning two assists.

Classmate and team captain Josh Cabrera added 12 points to the final score, shooting 6-of-10 and tallying one steal and one assist. Senior Jaren Jeffcoat sank five baskets and one free-throw for his 11 points. He also made six rebounds, and played aggressively against the rival-Rams to get four steals and three assists.

Sophomore Matt Pepdjonovic led the Rams (4-8, 2-3 GNAC) in a vital defensive effort by making 20 boards, only two of which came on Suffolk's offensive attacks. His 18 rebounds in Rams territory played a key role in the game's close battle, as were his 10 points, four blocks and three steals on the Cadets.

Classmate Colin Halpin led the Rams with 16 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the line and sinking one 3-pointer in his 5-of-13 field-goal effort. Halpin also earned one assist, while junior Justin Barall recorded the game-high four assists.

Sophomore Mickey McEntee was a threat to Norwich when he was in 3-point range, as he sank three of his attempts and tallied a total of 11 points, one steal and two assists in the conference game.

The two teams took the court in the first half ready for a battle, as the Cadets were looking for their first conference win and the Rams were hoping to bounce back from their loss to Emmanuel in their previous game. While the lead changed six times within the first 20 minutes of action, Norwich managed to gain the edge by the end of the first frame and held a 32-30 advantage at halftime.

Norwich was able to keep the momentum in their favor for a better part of the second half. The two teams' swapped possession back and forth during the first few minutes of play until the Cadets went up 38-36 at the 15:45 mark and never surrendered the lead thereafter.

The Rams will be back in action on Saturday as they host Mount Ida College at 2:00pm in the Regan Gymnasium.

(Story courtesy of Norwich University Sports Information)