CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball team dropped its Little East Conference opener to Rhode Island College on Saturday afternoon, falling 67-56 at Glenbrook Gym.
 
Castleton (5-3, 0-1 LEC) shot 37.3 percent as a team on Saturday, hitting 22-of-59 from the field. RIC (5-2, 1-0 LEC) made 43.1 percent of its shots, hitting 28-of-65. The Spartans hit six threes to the Anchorwomen's four, and committed only 11 turnovers to RIC's 17. Castleton had a 23-11 in points off turnovers in the game. Rhode Island College dominated the rebound battle 52-24, including 17 offensive rebounds.
 
Elise Magro led Castleton in scoring for the second game in a row, pouring in 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting. She also had four assists and two steals. Kelly Vuz chipped in 13 points while Liz Bailey added 11 and four rebounds. Luna Perry-St. Peter had five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.
 
Angelina Nardolillo led RIC in scoring and rebounding, notching a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double in the game. Jeniyah Jones was the only other Anchorwoman in double figures with 11 points and added eight rebounds. Claire Greene and Neleesha Meunier added nine points each off the bench.
 
Castleton scored the first points of the game on a nice inbound from the baseline that saw Bailey finish a pass from Magro. After RIC tied it on the other end, Magro found a cutting Bailey again for a 4-2 lead just 80 seconds into the game. RIC buckled down from there, keeping Castleton off the board for more than seven minutes while scoring 14 points unanswered for a 16-4 lead. Castleton stopped the skid when Emily Adams finished off a pass from Magro but a late jumper by Greene gave RIC an 18-6 lead after 10 minutes.
 
The lead grew to 27-6 after nine consecutive points to open the second quarter went to the Anchorwomen. After more than 3:30 had elapsed in the frame, Vuz made a layup for the Spartans that began an 8-2 Castleton run. Bailey, Gwyn Tatton and Magro also scored during the streak. RIC continued to add to its lead going into halftime, however, outscoring Castleton 7-3 over the final 3:40 of the half to close the stanza leading 36-17.
 
Castleton's offense came to life in the third quarter with the Spartans scoring 20 points in the frame, but RIC matched them and then some by adding four more points to its lead in the third. The Anchorwomen led 60-37 heading into the fourth.
 
The Spartans continued to battle despite the deficit, with Magro burying a three and Perry-St. Peter hitting a layup to start the frame. After a pair of free throws by RIC, Vuz and Bailey scored layups to make it 62-47 in favor of RIC. The Anchorwomen got those four points back with consecutive baskets, but a 7-0 run by Castleton drew the Spartans within a dozen—66-54—with more than two minutes to play. Neither side could muster offense from there, however, with RIC hitting just one free throw in the final minutes while Kathryn Moore hit a pair of late free throws for Castleton to close the game with a score of 67-56.
 
Castleton is back in action Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Fitchburg State.