DANBURY, Conn. – The Castleton University women's basketball team erased a 15-point third quarter deficit at Western Connecticut State on Saturday, but the Spartans fell to Western Connecticut State University by a final score of 58-56 in Little East Conference action.
The Spartans (12-9, 5-7 LEC)) trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter and led by as many as six points in the fourth after a lengthy run, but a late turnover proved costly as WestConn (7-14, 2-10 LEC) got the final possession and turned it into the game-winning points.
Castleton shot 31.3 percent for the game, making 20-of-64 from the field. The Spartans made just three threes in the game, and hit just 13-of-20 from the free-throw line. WestConn shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) and hit four threes. WestConn struggled at the free-throw line, making just 4-of-12. The home side had a 47-32 edge in rebounding, but Castleton had 10 offensive boards to WestConn's nine. Castleton turned the ball over only seven times, while WestConn had 21 turnovers that led to 16 Spartan points.
Elise Magro led all players with 19 points, followed by
Liz Bailey with 14 points.
Ryleigh Coloutti reached double figures as well with 12 points for Castleton.
Gwyn Tatton added seven points.
Kelly Vuz had a team-high seven rebounds, while Magro had five and Coloutti and Tatton had four apiece. Tatton also had four steals for Castleton.
WestConn was led by 16 points from Nicole Vivian, while Gabrielle Franks grabbed 13 rebounds in addition to eight points. Franks scored the game-winning basket with less than one second on the clock. Vivian dished out four assists.
WestConn opened the game with a triple to take an early lead, but Tatton responded with a layup on the opposite end. The two sides traded scores over the next four minutes, with WestConn taking a 14-8 lead after scoring back-to-back buckets with four minutes left in the frame. Castleton then rattled off an 8-2 run to tie the game at 16-16, but WestConn scored the final three points of the first quarter to take a 19-16 lead into the second.
The Spartans hung tight early in the second quarter with buckets by Tatton and Bailey bookending a jumper by WestConn's Virtue. The home side then scored six straight points to push the lead to seven, 27-20. Castleton was unable to draw any closer before the half, heading into the locker room down 33-25.
WestConn opened the score up in the third quarter, outscoring Castleton 9-2 in the first three minutes of the second half to take a 15-point lead, 42-27. Coloutti hit a three from the top of the arc to break the streak and spark an 11-0 Spartan run to bring the deficit to just four points, 42-38. Back-to-back WestConn buckets pushed the gap back to eight points, but four straight free throws—two from Bailey and two from Vuz—brought Castleton back within four with two minutes to play in the third. Both sides went scoreless for those two minutes until the final second, when Magro banked home a running three at the horn to make it a one-point game, 46-45.
Castleton took their its lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter, as Coloutti drove the lane, finished a layup and hit a free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play and a 48-46 Spartan lead. The lead grew to four points when Magro dropped in a layup late in the shot clock, forcing a WestConn timeout just two minutes into the final quarter. Magro added another layup to push the Spartan run to 14 straight points dating back to the third quarter, giving the Spartans a 52-46 edge.
WestConn got back-to-back baskets to pull within two, 52-50, but a pair of free throws by Bailey gave the Spartans a four-point cushion once more. Six straight points by the hosts gave WestConn a 56-54 lead with less than two minutes to play. Vuz tied the game at 56-56, hitting a jumper in the paint and drawing a foul. The free throw went wayward, keeping the score level.
A WestConn shot attempt came up short with 20 seconds remaining, with Castleton getting the rebound and calling timeout to advance the ball. A Spartan turnover with three seconds remaining gave WestConn one final chance. The hosts called a timeout of their own to advance the ball. The inbound pass went down to Franks in the post, who laid it in with less than a second on the clock to seal the victory for WestConn, 58-56.
Castleton returns to action Tuesday night at Keene State at 5 p.m.
