BARRE, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball improved to 4-0 to start the season, topping Northern Vermont University-Lyndon by a final score of 56-50 at the Barre Granite Association College Classic on Friday night at the historic Barre Auditorium.
The Spartans shot 30.5 percent (18-of-59) from the floor and just 20.0 percent (3-of-15) from three but hit an impressive 17-of-22 free throws on the night. Lyndon shot 38.2 percent from the floor (21-of-55) and 29.2 percent from three (7-of-24) but got to the free-throw line just twice. The Hornets outrebounded Castleton 41-36 but turned the ball over 28 times to Castleton's 13.
Kelly Vuz had a career-high 29 points for Castleton, hitting 10-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-6 at the line. She also had six rebounds.
Elise Magro added 12 points and four assists while
Liz Bailey had seven points and five rebounds.
Emily Adams had a team-high nine rebounds.
Lyndon got 13 points and eight rebounds from Emori Davis while Marisa Schlegel had eight points and three rebounds. Saleena Porter led all players with 10 rebounds.
Lyndon was red-hot from the floor in the first quarter, shooting 58.3 percent from the from floor and 57.1 percent from three in the frame. Castleton was held to just 23.5 percent in the first quarter while going 0-for-4 from three. Lyndon used its hot hand to lead 18-10 after one quarter.
Castleton buckled down on defense in the second quarter, keeping Lyndon off the board for nearly five minutes while opening the frame on a 4-0 run. Vuz made consecutive layups and
Emily Adams knocked down a free throw to pull Castleton within one in the last minute of the half, but Lyndon got a jumper from Davis and a three at the horn from Cordova to take a 29-23 lead into halftime.
Lyndon's lead grew to eight when Riann Fortin made a layup on the first possession, but Castleton went on a 9-0 run from there thanks to baskets from four different players, capped by a three-point play from
Gwyn Tatton. The run gave Castleton its first lead since the opening basket, 32-31. After Lyndon regained the lead with a layup, Vuz drained a triple and Magro hit a pair of free throws to give the Spartans a four-point edge, 37-33. Lyndon went on a quick five-point run to take the lead back by a point before Magro laid in a bucket for a 39-38 edge late in the third. The Hornets found the bottom of the basket once more at the horn to end the third, as Davis canned a jumper at the elbow for a 40-39 lead for the Hornets through three.
Vuz opened the fourth quarter with a layup for Castleton before Lyndon's Disorda knocked down a three to give the Hornets a two-point lead. Vuz hit another three and Bailey finished off a pass from Vuz in the lane to give Castleton a three-point lead just a minute later, 46-43. The Spartans never relinquished that advantage, hitting 4-of-4 free throws down the stretch to keep Lyndon at bay.
Castleton closes out the Barre Granite Association College Classic Saturday at noon with a matchup against NVU-Johnson at the Barre Auditorium.
