Box Score

WATERVILLE, ME - The Thomas men's basketball team lost a close battle with Norwich 68-64 on the final day of the Charlie Ryan Classic this afternoon from Larry Mahaney Gymnasium. The Terriers shot just 25-67 (37.3%) on the day while the Cadets hit on 28-56 (50%) of their attempts.

Thomas played strong early on, building a lead as large as 11 in the first half, but Norwich closed that gap down and only trailed by 28-26 at the half. Thomas played tough defensively, forcing 13 Cadet turnovers in the first half. Sophomore Ian King had four steals to lead the way, while junior Levi Barnes led with nine points at the break. Mike Hogervorst had eight to lead Norwich.

In the second half, the Cadets cut down on the turnovers and shot the ball very well from the field, as they connected on 17 of 29 shots, including four three pointers. Down the stretch, the game was nip and tuck as the lead changed three times in the final six minutes.

Senior Mike Akanji tipped home an offensive rebound to tie the game up at 64 with 1:30 to play, but Norwich closed out on a 4-0 run and shut down attempts by the Terriers to draw closer. Ryan Booth finished with a game-high 21 points off the bench for the Cadets, and Kevin Ross scored 15 also off the bench. Barnes led Thomas with 20. Senior Eric Westbrooks chipped in 13 before fouling out in the final minute, and junior Justin Murray also reached double-figures with 14.

Norwich held an edge on the boards 36-30 over Thomas while also blocking six shots. The Terriers only managed to attempt nine foul shots on the afternoon, making five.

The men's basketball team will have a short rest as they head out on the road Tuesday night to take on Division I opponent the University of New Hampshire. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm.