NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Mount Ida led for much of the first half but saw Norwich University take the lead before the break and then overwhelm them in the second half en route to a 62-43 win in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Monday evening at Andrews Hall.
The loss drops the Mustangs to 4-11 overall and 2-7 in league play. With the win, the Cadets improve to 4-11 overall and 2-6 in the GNAC standings.
The Mustangs were led by Treace Macklin (Brockton, Mass.) with 15 points and Ethan Dujon (Warwick, R.I.) had 13 points, five rebounds and two steals. Tyree Singletary (Newark, N.J.) led the team on the boards with seven rebounds to go with his three points.
Senior Nickolai Havoutis (Coral Glades, Fla.) led all scorers with 24 points. Havoutis shot an impressive 8-12 from the floor, including a 2-4 performance from three-point range, and hit all six of his free throw attempts for a season-high offensive output. He also added seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals for the Cadets.
Classmate Tom McDonald (Groton, Mass.) chipped in with 14 points for the Cadets, while sophomore Gary Gladden (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and freshman Grant Brown (Whitinsville, Mass.) added eight points apiece.
Mount Ida led by as many as six points, 11-5, 6:15 into the half, with Dujon hitting an early three-pointer and Macklin adding two jumpers.
A layup by McDonald with 9:00 on the clock knotted the score at 11-11, but the Mustangs scored on a layup by Michael Joseph (Windsor, Conn.) on their next trip down the floor to reclaim the lead. Norwich would tie the score three more times before taking their first lead of the day at 19-17 on a jumper by Havoutis with 3:36 to play in the half.
The Cadets would not trail again following Havoutis's jumper, and the hosts took their largest lead of the half as Brown connected on a three-pointer seconds before the buzzer signaled the end of the half.
Norwich would extend their lead to double-digits in the early minutes of the second half, until the Mustangs staged a run and came within six points, 35-29, with 13:50 still to play.
The Cadets averaged a 12-point lead for the remainder of the game, until the Mustangs were forced to send the Cadets to the line in hopes to regain possession. A pair of made free throws by both Gladden and Havoutis around the one-minute mark extended Norwich's lead to 17 points, 60-43. McDonald dunked on a breakaway in the final seconds to seal the 62-43 final score.
Norwich netted 42.9 percent (21-49) of field goals on the day, while the Mustangs shot 32.7 percent (17-52) from the floor.
The Cadets outscored the Mustangs 22-26 in the points and 10-9 off turnovers, but Mount Ida held a 13-4 advantage in second-chance points. Neither team's bench was a big factor, as Norwich held a 12-8 edge in points from non-starters.
Joseph had all eight points off the Mustang's bench, and also grabbed five rebounds. Freshman Nathan Bueno (Methuen, Mass.) had a pair of steals and two assists, while senior Kenny Jean (Dorchester, Mass.) paired his four points with six boards.
The Mustangs will be back on their home court on Thursday at 6:00 pm when they entertain Wheelock in a non-conference affair.
Norwich also returns to action on Thursday, when it travels to Anna Maria College for a 7:00 p.m. GNAC matchup.