WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Aylie Baker scored a game-high 18 points, and Lani Young notched 14 points and 14 rebounds as Middlebury defeated Norwich, 63-50, in women's basketball action on Tuesday evening at Andrews Hall.

Middlebury (3-0) erased an eight-point halftime deficit, and outscored Norwich, 35-14, after the break. After shooting just 35.3 percent in the first half, the Panthers shot a blistering 48.6 percent in the second stanza to pull away from the Cadets.

Norwich (0-3) used a 22-5 first half run to turn an early 15-4 deficit into a 27-20 lead with 5:24 to play in the half. NU's accuracy from behind the three-point line helped the Cadets to the lead as they hit six triples in the opening 20 minutes.

After Middlebury trimmed Norwich's lead to 27-22, the Cadets reeled off a 9-6 spurt to end the half and take a 36-28 lead into the intermission.

Middlebury used a 14-0 run to start the second half, turning the 36-28 halftime deficit into a 42-36 lead at the 12:49 mark. Norwich finally scored its first points of the half at the 12:29 mark to cut Middlebury's lead to 42-38, but the Cadets got no closer the rest of the way.

Natalie Marchese led all Norwich scorers with 11 points, hitting 3-of-5 three-pointers. She also contributed a team-high five assists. Erica Rate chipped in nine points for the Cadets, while Christine Daniels netted eight points. Laural McWilliams was a monster on the boards, ripping down a team-best nine rebounds.

Norwich returns to action on Tuesday, Nov. 27, when the Cadets travel to Johnson, Vt., to take on Johnson State at 7 p.m.