CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball team cruised to victory over Keene State in Little East Conference action on Wednesday night, controlling from the opening tip en route to a 78-42 win at Glenbrook Gym.
The Spartans (8-4, 2-2 LEC) shot 47.0 percent from the floor (31-of-66) on the night while knocking down five threes. The Owls (4-8, 1-4 LEC) made just 26.3 percent from the field (15-of-57) with seven triples. Castleton received contributions from everyone in the lineup, registering 35 bench points in the win and turned 24 Keene turnovers into 26 points.
Elise Magro had a game-high 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists in her 28 minutes.
Kelly Vuz and
Lauren Pratt had 13 points each, with Pratt's total notching a new career-high. Pratt was 6-of-12 from the floor and had four steals on defense.
Ryleigh Coloutti and
Delaney Whitehead just missed out on double-digit point totals, netting nine points apiece. Coloutti had six boards for Castleton, tying for second-most rebounds on the team with
Olivia Perry and
Gwyn Tatton.
Liz Bailey had a team-leading nine rebounds in the contest.
Keene received 14 points from Elizabeth Gonyea, but the next leading scorers—Aryanna Murray and Alexa Hurley—had just six points each. Gonyea also had a team-best five rebounds, followed by Hailey Derosia with four boards. Derosia, Keene's leading scorer entering the night, was held to just two points.
The Spartans got off to a hot start, knocking down threes on each of their first two possessions to take a 6-0 lead. The two sides went back-and-forth for a few minutes in the middle of the period with Castleton slowly building its lead, but the Spartans ended the quarter on an 11-5 run to carry a 26-13 lead into the second frame.
Castleton continued to control the contest in the second quarter, opening with a 12-0 run that spanned more than seven minutes. Castleton outscored Keene State 17-2 in the frame, holding the Owls to 0-of-13 shooting in the quarter. Both Keene points came at the free-throw line, while built its lead to 43-15 at halftime.
The Owls broke a 12-plus minute stretch without a field goal early in the second half, but the Spartans continued to pile on. Castleton responded to Keene's bucket with a 16-0 run that spanned more than five minutes and ended with Castleton ahead 61-17. The lead grew to a game-high 46 points—65-19—when Pratt dropped in a layup late in the third quarter. A late three by the Owls sent the game to the fourth quarter with the Spartans leading 65-22.
Keene scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, eventually outscoring Castleton 20-13 in the final 10 minutes. The game was well in hand at that point, with Castleton closing out the win regardless, 78-42.
The Spartans host Rhode Island College on Saturday at 3 p.m.
