Norwich Shuts Down Women’s Basketball in GNAC Quarterfinals

Norwich Shuts Down Women’s Basketball in GNAC Quarterfinals

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Suffolk women's basketball team, who was seeded third in the South, saw its season come to a close Tuesday night as the Rams fell 67-53 to the North's second seed Norwich in the GNAC Quarterfinals inside Andrews Hall. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 53, Norwich 67
RECORDS: Suffolk (17-9) | Norwich (16-10)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Norwich jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Alexandra Nagri got the scoring going for Suffolk with a layup and Georgia Bourikas followed suit with a layup of her own followed by a triple to give the visitors their first edge of the night 7-4 four minutes into action.

The Rams remained in front before the Cadets' Shyann Josler's trey with 2:55 remaining in the first frame swung momentum in the hosts favor. Josler's second three-pointer of the night and in as many hoops gave them a 14-11 upperhand with 49 seconds on the clock. 

A freebie from Kelsey Schiebel and a hoop from Nagri ended the first 10 minutes to keep things at a one-point game, 16-15.

Suffolk picked up the pace in the opening of the second rattling off six straight points, including two hoops from Bourikas, to deadlock the game at 21-all. From there, the Rams usual second stanza lull ensued and the Cadets took advantage, outscoring the blue-and-gold 13-4 over the final 6:45 to take a 34-25 halftime advantage.

The Rams looked to rally right out of the break, but the Cadets had other things in mind as they scored the first five points of the third quarter to go up by 12, a lead that would blossom to 16 at the 6:31 minute mark. Suffolk's surge came, however, in the form of a 12-6 run to trim the deficit to 10, 52-42, heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Similar to how the third started, Norwich banked in four straight hoops to stretch the margin to 18 points. Behind Alexandra Clark, Alexis Hackett and Caitlyn Caramello the Rams charged form and came within 10, 60-50, with 2:26 on the clock. The deficit proved to be too much however, as Suffolk took the chance on the foul game and the Cadets cashed in to end the Rams' season, 67-53.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

  • Hackett's 12 points off a 6-for-6 showing at the charity stripe led the way for Suffolk with the freshman grabbing six rebounds and block two shots on the defensive end.
  • Bourikas racked up 11 points, all of which came over the first 20 minutes, set-up three shots and grabbed two rebounds.
  • Clarke rounded out the Rams in double figures with 10, shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. The senior forward completed her double-double performance with 10 caroms, five on each end of the hardwood to go along with two blocks and one steal.
  • Nagri was on the verge of double figures with nine points on a 4-for-9 effort from the field.
  • Suffolk shot just 37.3 percent (19-51) from the field compared to Norwich's 43.9 percent (25-57) field goal connection rate.
  • The Rams outrebounded the Cadets, 38-31. 

NOTEWORTHY

  • Clarke registered the second double-double of her career and the season in her final collegiate outing.

POST-GAME PIC