CASTLETON, Vt. – The Spartans had a chance to tie the game with just two seconds left on three free throws from Jade Desroches, but the senior missed her second attempt and a last second scramble came up short as Middlebury held on for the 64-62 victory on Thursday night in Glenbrook Gym. 

Trailing by three with time running out, Desroches try to shake her defender but instead was forced to launch a three from 25 feet out. The ball fell short but she was fouled and stepped to the line with 2.6 seconds remaining. The senior swished the first but the second free throw clanked off the rim. Desroches was forced to miss the third and the teams scrambled for it, leading to a jump ball with 0.8 seconds left. Middlebury took possession and threw the ball to the backcourt as time expired to secure the win. 

The Panthers improve to 3-0 with the victory while the Spartans drop to 2-1. Middlebury shot 44.1 percent from the floor in the game and outrebounded Castleton by a 44-36 margin. Defensively the Spartans forced 21 turnovers with 12 steals and 13 blocks as they shot 33.3 percent from the field and went 10-for-31 from beyond the arc.

Junior Ali Jones hit three second-half triples en route to career-high 18 points while grabbing six rebounds and dished off two assists. Meghan O'Sullivan added 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Desroches shot just 5-for-18 for 15 points but did fill up the stat sheet with two rebounds, three assists, four steals and a career-high five blocks. 

For Middlebury, Elizabeth Knox had the hot hand as she shot 10-for-18 to finish with 22 points. The sophomore added eight rebounds, four assists and a block. Sabrina Weeks was also in double figures with 12 points. Sarah Kaufman was limited to 2-for-11 shooting by Desroches, along with nine turnovers, but did chip in with eight rebounds and five assists. 

Desroches gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead on a triple 2:02 into the game but Middlebury scored the next ten points to pull in front 12-2 with 14:41 left. O'Sullivan ended the run with a bucket but the Panthers continued their hot shooting to extend their lead to 20-9 and then 28-14 with just 4:43 left in the half. O'Sullivan connected on a triple, jumpstarting a 12-4 run to close the gap to 32-26 with just 17 seconds remaining. However, Siobhan O'Sullivan nailed a shot with seven seconds left to push the lead back to eight at the break. 

Castleton carried its momentum into the second half, cutting the deficit to 38-34 on a three-point play by O'Sullivan, and after a Weeks bucket, Makayla Farrara connected on back-to-back triples to tie it at 40 apiece with 15:01 left. The Spartans took their first lead of the second half on a three from Jones five minutes later, 51-49, and the teams traded baskets over the next five minutes. 

Jones' fourth shot from beyond the arc pushed the Castleton lead to 61-57 with 4:54 left. Alexis Coolidge responded with a personal 5-0 run, including an old fashioned three-point play with just 1:48 remaining to put Middlebury in front. The Spartans couldn't connect on either of their next two possessions and were forced to foul with 26 seconds left. Kaufman made both shots for the 64-61 advantage. Castleton ran the clock down before calling a timeout with 11 seconds left to set up the final sequence of events. 

Freshmen sisters Taylor and Morgan Raiche provided valuable minutes off the bench, combining for nine rebounds, five blocks, two steals and two assists. Farrara added nine points on three triples along with two assists. 

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday when they host Plymouth St. for a matchup beginning at 5:30 pm.