Women’s Basketball Falls to Norwich University, 77-52

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Elms College senior guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) and sophomore forward Denisha Parks (Fall River, Mass.) each scored 10 points and the Blazers shot 33.3-percent from the field but Norwich University had three players score in double figures including Aliah Curry (Windsor, Mass.) who poured in a game-high 27 points to help the Cadets to a 77-52 victory in Friday evening's women's basketball 2012-13 season opener at the Plymouth State University Tip-Off Tournament at Foley Gym.

With the loss, Elms begins its season 0-1 and will face the host Panthers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. Plymouth State fell to Eastern Nazarene College, 78-49 in the tournament's other game.

Curry scored her 27 points on 11 of 24 shooting from the field, including 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. Jessalyn Sweeney (Stanfordville, N.Y.) hit on 7 of 13 from the floor and swished 4 of 7 from three-point land en route to 20 points, while Kelsey Lotti (South Yarmouth, Mass.) provided additional offensive punch with 11 points.

Kristin Brown (Williamstown, Vt.) dished out six assists in the winning effort and Riley Blankenship (Lyndonville, Vt.) secured a team-high six boards.

Elms, which shot 40-percent from the field in the second half, was efficient on the glass picking up 39 rebounds including a game-high eight boards from Parks and sophomore forward JC Pickett (Chicopee, Mass.). Pickett and sophomore guard Gianna Youngblood (East Freetown, N.Y.) added nine points each.

The Blazers and Cadets each scored 22 points in the paint, and Norwich held just a 20-17 edge in bench scoring, but the Cadets turned 26 Elms turnovers into 20 points in the win.

Normandie converted a layup and hit the following free throw after being fouled 1:21 into the game to start the scoring and give the Blazers a three-point lead – its largest and only advantage of the contest. Curry swished a trey that sparked a 26-9 surge by Norwich.

The Cadets held a 39-25 lead at intermission and led by as many as 25 points with 40 seconds to play when Lourdes Perry (Williamstown, Vt.) made a bucket and a free throw to seal the win.

Norwich will square off against Eastern Nazarene (1-0) on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.