Saturday, January 7, 2012 (Northfield, Vermont) - Behind a career day from senior forward Amanda Bolio (Oxford, MA/Oxford); the Mount Ida College women's basketball team collected their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory of the season over hosting Norwich University Saturday afternoon by a score of 64-61 to open league action. The Mustangs fell behind early in the first half by 11 points at the eight minute mark but cut the advantage to a deuce at halftime. Mount Ida chipped away through the latter part of the second half leading by five with five minutes remaining and would eventually solidify the win down the stretch.
Bolio poured in a career-high 16 points along with eight rebounds good for two straight games with double digit point totals (12 v. Framingham State University – 1/5/12) this past week. Senior guard Shannon Wood (Gorham, ME/Catherine McAuley/Bryant University) added a team-high 18 points going 5-12 from the floor and 3-6 from downtown to lead Mount Ida offensively. Senior Katie Morvan (Northbridge, MA/Northbridge) and freshman Jenn Rafuse (Brockton, MA/Brockton) notched eight points each with Morvan pulling down 11 caroms respectively.
The Cadets came out strong scoring the first six points of the contest through the first four minutes of play. Mount Ida had trouble keeping pace after multiple missed attempts while Norwich would eventually build a game-high 11 point advantage at the eight minute mark in the first stanza.
The Mustangs mounted a 9-0 run to pull within two points (19-17) following a successful jumper by Morvan with 4:33 to go before the midway point.
Although the hosts went ahead by a couple of baskets on the ensuing possessions, Mount Ida cut the lead back down to one point after a good jumper by sophomore Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) trailing 26-25 with a little over a minute remaining.
Bolio sank two free throws for the final baskets of the half heading into the locker room with Mount Ida down a deuce (29-27).
Through the first three minutes of the second stanza Mount Ida fell behind by eight points down 39-31. The Mustangs countered with an 8-0 run to cut the Norwich advantage to 39-38 following a Bolio lay-in.
Mount Ida continued to scratch away through the middle of the second half trailing by one basket through the next couple of minutes (9:03) with the visitors holding a small advantage (47-44).
The Mustangs captured the lead with five minutes remaining in the game after a successful trifecta by Wood up 54-51.
The contest went back-and-forth for the next couple of ticks with a point separating the score with three minutes left. Wood knocked down a jumper with 26 seconds remaining giving the Mustangs a one point lead (62-61).
An ensuing turnover by the Cadets would eventually put Bolio at the line following a Cadet foul giving Mount Ida a three point advantage (64-61). The hosts would launch one final prayer from downtown that was an unsuccessful attempt to tie the game giving the Mustangs the GNAC win.
Mount Ida women's basketball will host league foe Simmons College Tuesday afternoon with game time slated for 6:00 p.m.