KEENE, N.H. – The Castleton University women's basketball team got back in the win column Wednesday night, using stiff defense and efficient offense in the second half to earn a 54-36 win on the road at Keene State in Little East Conference action.

With the game deadlocked at 22-all at halftime, Castleton (11-8, 6-4 LEC) outscored Keene (5-14, 4-6 LEC) 32-14 in the second half for a dominant victory on the road. Castleton finished the day shooting 44.9 percent (22-of-49) after knocking down 54.1 percent (13-of-24) of its shots in the second half. Castleton was 4-of-10 from deep and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. Keene State shot just 27.1 percent (13-of-48) as a team, as Castleton held the Owls to 17.4 percent (4-of-23) in the second half. Keene State knocked down 5-of-20 from three and 5-of-6 from the line. Rebounds were nearly even as Castleton held a 32-31 edge, as were turnovers with Keene committing 21 to Castleton's 19. Castleton led wire-to-wire, never trailing in the contest.

Brooke Raiche led all players with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Elise Magro narrowly missed out on a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds in addition to four assists and two steals. Katlyn Toomey added six points and seven rebounds, while Alexis Quenneville had five points, four rebounds and three steals.

Keene State did not have a double-digit scorer in the game, as Jordyn Burke's eight points led all Owl scorers. Kenzie Bennett had six points and five rebounds, while Hien Thach and Lilly Shlimon had four points apiece. Castleton held Keene's leading scorer Hailey Derosia to just one point on 0-of-6 shooting.

Castleton took a 2-0 lead before the game even started, as Quenneville knocked down a pair of free throws following an administrative technical foul on Keene State. The Spartans built on that lead continually throughout the first quarter, ending the frame on a 9-2 run to carry a 16-8 lead into the second quarter.

The Owls answered with a 7-2 run of their own to open the second quarter, cutting the lead down to three points—18-15—with 7:35 to play in the half. The two sides traded baskets until the late minutes of the half, when a three from Bennett tied the game up for the Owls with 2:15 to play. Neither side was able to score over the final two minutes of the quarter, sending the game to halftime level at 22-22.

Castleton regained a five-point lead in the opening stages of the second half, using a 6-0 run over the first five-plus minutes to make it 28-22 in favor of the Spartans. After Keene got the lead back to just three on a free throw and a layup, Raiche converted a three-point play to make it 31-25. Magro followed with a layup before later hitting a pair of free throws to extend the lead to double digits, 35-25. The Owls hit a late three to cut the lead back to seven points, but Emilee Bose cashed in on a three of her own from the top of the arc with just three seconds left on the clock to send the Spartans to the final frame leading 40-30.

Castleton continued to stifle the Owls, holding Keene scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the final quarter while building the lead to 18 points—48-30. After a three by the Owls, Raiche hit a three of her own before Quenneville converted a three-point play to give the Spartans their largest lead of the game—21 points—with just 39 seconds remaining. Keene State hit a last-second three, but the result was already determined as Castleton walked away victorious, 54-36.

Castleton returns to action Saturday at Glenbrook Gym when it hosts Rhode Island College for an LEC matchup. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.