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Men's Basketball: Suffolk Comes From Behind To Defeat Norwich, 82-77
NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Robert Thurman scored a career-high 34 points and added nine rebounds, but it was not enough as the Norwich University men's basketball team dropped an 82-77 decision to visiting Suffolk University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game Saturday afternoon at Andrews Hall.
The Rams trailed by 21 points early in the second half before rallying to earn their first conference victory of the season. Suffolk was led by Mike Gibbons, who hit seven three-pointers and finished with a team-high 21 points. Jevic Muteba came off the bench and added 17 points for the Rams (2-13, 1-7 GNAC). Mike Fleming rounded out the trio of Suffolk players in double-figures with 13 points.
Jaren Jeffcoat added 12 points for Norwich (4-11, 2-6 GNAC). Antonio Davis added eight points and 12 rebounds for the Cadets, while Joshua Cabrera also netted eight points. Tim Fico played well off the bench for Norwich, scoring three points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out a game-high seven assists.
Norwich led by 13 at halftime, and the Cadets scored the first eight points of the second half to open up a 46-25 advantage with 17:20 to play in the game. The Rams used a quick 11-2 spurt to trim their deficit down to 48-36 at the 15:12 mark. Triples by Gibbons and Fleming capped the run, which put the Rams back within striking distance.
A three-point play by Thurman put NU on top 51-36, but a three-pointer by Gibbons and a lay-up by Flemming made it 51-41 at the 13:58 mark. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, and Norwich led 64-54 with just under nine minutes to play. The Rams went on fire over the next three minutes, outscoring the Cadets 15-4 to take a 69-68 lead at the 5:39 mark.
Two free throws by Davis lifted Norwich back on top, 70-69, but another trey by Gibbons gave Suffolk a 72-70 edge. Thurman tied it up at 72-72 with a lay-up, but the Rams scored the next four points to establish a 76-72 lead with 2:36 remaining. Norwich trailed 78-74 with less than one minute to play, but a free throw by Thurman and a lay-up by Cabrera made it 78-77. Norwich fouled Suffolk on its ensuing possession and Mike Lindberg hit both free throws to make it a three-point game with 25 seconds on the clock. Norwich had a shot to force overtime, but Cabrera's three-pointer was off the mark, and Muteba converted two more shots from the charity stripe to secure the victory.
A dunk by Thurman and three-pointers by Cabrera and Fico helped Norwich to an early 8-4 lead. The Cadets extended their lead to 14-7 thanks to a quick six points by Thurman. Suffolk used a 5-1 burst to make it a 15-12 game midway through the first half, but a 9-0 Norwich run gave the Cadets a 24-12 lead at the 6:17 mark. NU led by as many as 17 points in the first half, before taking a 38-25 lead into the intermission.
Suffolk shot a blistering 53.1 percent from the floor in the second half, including 50.0 percent (7-for-14) from three-point range. For the game, the Rams hit just 39.7 percent of their shots, but they connected on 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from behind the arc.
Norwich cooled off in the second half, hitting only 36.1 percent of its shots after halftime. For the game, the Cadets made 41.8 percent of their field goal attempts. NU outrebounded Suffolk 42-36.
Norwich will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when the Cadets travel to Nashua, N.H., to take on GNAC rival Rivier. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
