GORHAM, Maine – The Castleton University women's basketball team earned its first Little East Conference win of the season on Saturday, picking up a 57-54 road win at Southern Maine.
The win moves Castleton to 7-3 on the season and 1-1 in league play heading into the winter break. Southern Maine drops to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in LEC action on the year. The Spartans shot 37.7 percent from the floor (23-of-61) and 38.9 percent from three (7-of-18), but struggled at the free-throw line making just 4-of-11. USM made 35.2 percent from the field (19-of-54) and matched Castleton exactly from beyond the arc. The Huskies hit 9-of-11 free throws on the day. Castleton won the rebound battle 43-34 including 16 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points.
Elise Magro and
Liz Bailey had 18 points apiece to lead the way, while
Kelly Vuz added 16 of her own. Magro added eight assists and six rebounds to her line, while Bailey grabbed nine boards and blocked four shots.
Gwyn Tatton also had nine rebounds for Castleton and
Delaney Whitehead added six rebounds and a pair of steals.
Southern Maine was led by 12 points and seven rebounds from Franny Ramsdell. Amy Fleming had 11 points and Maria Degifico added 10. Both Fleming and Degifico had four rebounds. Tamrah Gould had four assists and five steals for the Huskies.
The Huskies scored first to open the game, but Castleton hit back with a three from Magro on the other end to take the lead away. Bailey added to the edge with a layup to make it 5-2. After a jumper by Southern Maine made it 5-4, Castleton went on a 16-0 run, keeping USM off the board for more than six minutes while pushing the lead to 21-4. USM stopped the run with a three to end the first quarter with Castleton on top, 21-7.
Southern Maine was red-hot to start the second quarter, rattling off 10 points in a row to open the frame, giving the squad 13 unanswered points dating back to the end of the first. The run cut Castleton's lead to 21-17 before Magro hit a three to stop the bleeding. After a Husky jumper found the bottom of the bucket, Vuz hit a three of her own to extend Castleton's lead to 27-19. The two sides traded blows for a few minutes before Southern Maine went on a 7-2 run to pull within one score, 31-29. Vuz hit a late three to end the second quarter, giving the Spartans a five-point cushion at the half, 34-29.
Castleton's lead grew to seven on the first possession of the second half on a Bailey layup, but Southern Maine held Castleton to just two more field goals over next seven minutes to work its way back into the game. A jumper by Ramsdell made it 42-40 in favor of Castleton before a three by Emma Haskell gave USM the lead for the first time since the opening basket, 43-42. The two sides traded the lead back-and-forth over the final two minutes of the quarter, with Castleton holding a one-point edge going to the final 10 minutes, 46-45.
Neither side scored for more than two minutes at the start of the fourth quarter, with Vuz breaking the scoreless streak with a three for the Spartans. Two free throws by USM made it a two-point game, but consecutive baskets from Bailey and Magro gave Castleton a six-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Southern Maine broke a three-minute scoring drought with a jumper and then a minute later made two free throws to again pull within two, 53-51. Vuz sank a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to give Castleton a 55-51 lead, but Haskell buried a quick three on the other end to pull USM back within a point, 55-54. Castleton got the ball to Magro, who was fouled and hit both free throws to make it 57-54 with only four seconds left. The Huskies' half-court heave at the horn was no good, sealing the win for the Spartans.
Castleton returns to action after the holiday break when it travels to RPI on December 30 at 1 p.m.
