(Photo Courtesy: Deanbulldogs.com)
FRANKLIN- Following a three-week break, the Dean Men’s Basketball team starts the new year with an 89-81 home victory over Norwich on Tuesday afternoon. Dean advances to 8-3 as Norwich falls to 7-4.
Right from tip-off, Dean dominated inside the paint, scoring most of their shots there early on. For the Cadets, missed shots and poor defense in the first five minutes led to only two points on the board, causing head coach Paul Booth to call timeout and regroup his players.
Following the stoppage, Dean continued to capitalize on open-shot opportunities and strong team communication, adding to their lead. AJ Weston began to heat up, contributing to Dean’s offensive success early in the game.
Hitting three-pointers in the first half was an additional struggle for the Cadets, shooting just thirty-seven percent behind the line.
Dean capitalized off the Cadet's missed shots with their rebounding and used their momentum to take a 44-31 lead going into the second half.
The beginning of the second half played in Dean’s favor, as their lead remained in control, a big part being the strong effort from Jayden Madise.
Norwich attempted to spark a comeback, cutting their deficit to ten with four minutes remaining, but Dean held on to secure a hard-fought win.
Dean will next play at Emmanuel College, Thursday at 5:30.