LYNDON, Vt. – Vanessa Powers (Marshfield, Vt.) poured in a game-high 32 points and hauled in nine rebounds to lead Casteton State College to an 81-65 win over Lyndon State College in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) women's basketball action Saturday evening at Stannard Gymnasium.

Castleton, owners of a first-round bye in the upcoming NAC tournament, improve to 17-8 overall and 11-3 in conference play. Lyndon State will be the fifth seed in the upcoming tournament at 10-11, 7-7 and will travel to University of Maine-Farmington Tuesday for a quarterfinal macth-up.

The Spartans led the entire game, with the exception of a single posession when Lyndon's Stephanie Barclay (Barre, Vt.) canned a three-pointer from the top of the key to give the Hornets a 50-49 lead with 13:05 remaining in the contest. Kelly Conway (Rutland, Vt.) answered with a three-pointer of her own on the ensuing possession, and ignited 20-2 Spartan run over the eight minutes of play. Powers dumped in 10 points during the surge, and finished 16-for-19 from the field.

Lyndon answered with an 11-0 spurt of its own, but Castleton closed out the game by scoring 12 of the final 14 points en route to the win.

Alyssa Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) added 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Castleton, while Taylor Race (Germantown, N.Y.) added nine points and seven boards.

Donna Lawson (Irasburg, Vt.) scored a team-high 18 for the Hornets, and Naomi White (Danville, Vt.) tossed in 17.