KEENE, N.H. – The Castleton University women's basketball team went down to the wire once again in Little East Conference action Wednesday night, coming up just short on the road at Keene State, 46-44.
 
The Spartans had a chance to level the score at 45-all with just 3.3 seconds remaining when Elise Magro stepped to the line for a pair of free throws. Magro knocked down the front end of the attempts, but was just off on the second free throw and Keene came down with the rebound. A quick foul by Castleton sent the Owls to the line with 1.9 seconds remaining, and Jackie Alibrandi made just one of her two attempts, but the Spartans were unable to get a shot off as the final horn sounded on a 46-44 final score.
 
The highlight of the night for Castleton was Brooke Raiche becoming just the 17th member of the Castleton women's basketball program to eclipse the 1,000-career-point plateau, as the senior used a 10-point first half to reach the milestone. Raiche entered the night needing just nine points to amass 1,000 for her career. She finished the night with 14 points and seven rebounds for Castleton. Elise Magro led all players with 18 points in addition to five rebounds, while Gwyn Tatton came up two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 13 boards. It was Tatton's second double-digit rebounding total in three games this season.
 
Keene State was led by 12 points from Hailey Derosia, 10 of which came in the opening half. Derosia also had seven rebounds and four assists for the Owls. Alibrandi contributed 11 points and four rebounds for Keene, but struggled from deep as she shot just 1-of-10 from three-point range. Michelle Labonte and Jordyn Burke tied for a team-high eight boards, with Labonte scoring nine points and Burke four.
 
Both teams made 17 field goals on the night, as Castleton made 17-of-51 (33.3 percent) and Keene State 17-of-58 (29.3 percent). The Owls held an edge from long range, knocking down 5-of-28 from three (17.9 percent) while Castleton came up empty with an 0-for-9 night beyond the arc. The Spartans knocked down 10-of-12 at the free-throw line in their best game from the stripe this season, while Keene managed to hit just 7-of-16 free throws. Castleton controlled the glass 40-35, but turned the ball over 20 times to Keene's 17.
 
Keene got on the board first with a long three from Labonte, but a layup by Bose a minute later got Castleton on the board as well. The two sides then traded baskets for the next four minutes before Castleton took its first lead of the game—10-9—on a layup by Magro. Labonte buried another three for Keene to put the Owls ahead 12-10 on the ensuing possession, before Rylee Burgess put Keene ahead 14-10 with two minutes to play in the opening quarter. The Owls maintained their four-point lead heading into the second quarter, as Magro hit a pair of free throws but Derosia countered with a buzzer-beater on the other end to keep the Owls ahead, 16-12.
 
Castleton slowly whittled away the Owl lead, as a six-point run that included two baskets from Raiche and one from Magro put the Spartans ahead, 20-19. After three scoreless minutes from each team following the quick run, Raiche added to Castleton's lead with another layup, this one pushing her over the 1,000-point mark for her career. Magro added the last basket of the half for either side with one minute to play, sending Castleton into the locker room with a 24-22 lead.
 
The Owls knotted the game up out of the break, but buckets by Magro and Tatton pushed the Spartans ahead, 28-24. Keene again leveled the score at 29-29, but Castleton closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to carry a six-point lead into the final frame, 37-31.
 
The Owls scored a quick nine points on a pair of threes and a converted three-point play, taking back the lead, 40-37. Castleton called timeout to try and stop the bleeding, but Keene added two more points to take a five-point lead before the Spartans finally snapped their six-minute scoring drought with a basket by Magro. A jumper from the top of the key by Tatton with 2:29 to play pulled Castleton within one, 44-43, but Keene added one point to its lead when Katie Sullivan hit 1-of-2 at the free-throw line with 1:35 to play. That point proved to be crucial, as Magro headed to the line with just 3.3 seconds to play needing to hit both free-throws to knot the score. Magro hit just 1-of-2, and Keene pulled in the rebound to seal the victory.
 
The Spartans return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rhode Island College.