CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball team won for the second straight game on Saturday evening, defeating former North Atlantic Conference foe Thomas College 63-34 in the Spartan Classic at Glenbrook Gym.
The Spartans (2-0) shot 35.2 percent from the floor, hitting 19-of-54 on the day, while making 8-of-20 from three-point land. Thomas shot just 18.5 percent from the field, connecting on 10-of-54 while making just 2-of-16 from distance. Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, Castleton making 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) and Thomas making 12-of-24 (50.0 percent). The Spartans won the rebounding battle 45-43, and had 16 turnovers to Thomas' 20. Castleton scored 17 points off Terrier turnovers.
Elise Magro led all players with 15 points, while the senior added eight rebounds and four assists.
Liz Bailey amassed 13 points with five rebounds while
Kathryn Moore added eight points on the evening for the Spartans.
Gwyn Tatton was a force on the glass, grabbing 12 rebounds and adding seven points and four assists.
Maggie McKearin also had seven points, making one three and hitting 4-of-6 at the line.
Felicia Poirier was all over the floor defensively, collecting seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks on the day.
Trea Broussard and Kristina Perry provided a majority of the offense for the Terriers, with Broussard scoring 12 points and Perry adding 11. Samantha Fortin added five points and five rebounds.
Thomas scored first in the contest, but Bailey quickly knotted the score on the ensuing Spartan possession. Another Terrier bucket put Thomas ahead 4-2 before Tatton laid in a basket on a pass from Bailey to make it 4-4. Bailey then hit two free throws to give the Spartans a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the night. Moore hit a triple late in the first quarter to give Castleton a 12-7 lead heading into the second frame.
The Castleton lead hit double digits when Bailey made a layup in transition on a pass from Magro just two minutes into the second quarter. Thomas worked it back to a five-point game over the next three minutes, but back-to-back threes by
Emily Adams and
Delaney Whitehead for Castleton made it an 11-point lead once again. The gap continued to grow, with Poirier hitting a pair of free throws and Magro burying a three to make it 30-14 in favor of Castleton. Castleton closed the half on a 4-0 run to take a 34-17 edge into the locker room.
Magro pushed the lead to 20 points immediately in the second half, hitting a three on Castleton's first possession. Three straight points by Bailey made it 40-17 before Thomas stopped Castleton's streak with a pair of free throws. A Tatton layup and another three by Moore made it a 26-point gap for the Spartans with just 4:30 to play in the third quarter. The lead grew to 28 points at the end of three after a handful of Spartan free throws put the score at 51-23.
The lead reached a game-high 29-points after Bailey made a layup and Magro made a jumper, but Thomas whittled it back to 56-33 with a 6-0 run of its own. A handful of Spartan free throws and a final three-pointer by McKearin gave the game its final score of 63-34.
Castleton wraps up the Spartan Classic Sunday at 3 p.m. at Glenbrook Gym against UMaine Farmington. UMF was defeated by New England College 66-46 in the first round of Saturday's Spartan Classic.
