CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball team dropped its regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon, battling UMass Dartmouth down to the wire before coming up short 56-53 in Little East Conference play at Glenbrook Gym.
 
The Spartans conclude the regular season 12-12 overall and 5-10 in league play, earning the No. 7 seed in the upcoming LEC Tournament. Castleton will travel to Eastern Connecticut State on Tuesday for the LEC Quarterfinals. UMassD finished 18-7 overall and 12-4 in LEC play, earning the No. 3 seed. The Corsairs host UMass Boston on Tuesday night.
 
The Spartans shot 25.4 percent from the field in the contest, making 17-of-67 from the floor. Castleton struggled from three, hitting just 5-of-22 from distance. UMass Dartmouth was not much better in either category, hitting just 29.3 percent from the field (17-of-58) and 29.0 percent from three (9-of-31). Castleton was 14-of-17 at the free-throw line, while UMassD hit 13-of-18 at the stripe. Castleton held a 49-46 edge on the glass, including a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds that led to a 10-4 edge in second-chance scoring. Castleton also had a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Liz Bailey led all Spartans in scoring, dropping 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 18 minutes of play. She also grabbed six rebounds. Elise Magro added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Ryleigh Coloutti reached double figures with 10 points. Gwyn Tatton led the way on the glass with 10 rebounds, while Kelly Vuz grabbed nine.
 
Kaylin Zalewski was a bright spot for the Corsairs, heavily outperforming her season averages on her way to a 21-point outing. Zalewski hit four threes and was 7-of-12 from the floor. Caroline Wilson scored 12 points, with Jordan Moretti adding 10 of her own. Moretti also had nine rebounds and seven assists.
 
The Corsairs built an early lead in the contest, leading 11-4 nearing the midway point of the first quarter. Delaney Whitehead buried a corner three to cut the lead to just four points, before Magro made it a two-point game with a layup. Bailey took over from there, scoring three straight layups to give Castleton a 15-11 edge late in the frame. Magro capped the quarter with a three, giving Castleton an 18-11 lead through 10 minutes of play after a 14-point run.
 
The streak reached 16 straight points for the Spartans after a pair of Tatton free throws made it 19-11 to start the second, but UMassD narrowed it back to a four-point game after a 7-2 run. The Corsairs made another charge late in the frame with a six-point run late in the half, but a late jumper by Lauren Pratt gave Castleton a four-point cushion once more. The lead was halved before the break when Zalewski made a layup at the horn. Castleton went to the locker room leading 28-26.
 
The Corsairs took the lead back to open the second half when Shaelyn Carreiro hit a three on the first possession, but a seven-point run by Castleton put the Spartans ahead 35-29 just over two minutes into the quarter. A Magro three later in the frame kept Castleton ahead by six, but UMassD went on an 8-0 run following Magro's triple to take a two-point lead, 40-38. Bailey leveled the score at 40-40 with a layup, but two last-second free throws by Zalewski sent the Corsairs to the fourth with a two-point lead, 42-40.
 
Castleton opened the final 10 minutes on a mission, scoring the first seven points of the frame to take a 47-42 lead. The Corsairs whittled away at the lead slowly, working the Spartans' lead back to just two points, 51-49, with 3:34 to play. The Spartans added two free throws to push the lead back to four, 53-49, but they were the final points Castleton scored as a layup by Moretti drew UMassD within one, 53-52, before five straight free throws by the Corsairs sealed the 56-53 final.
 
Castleton honored its three seniors—Pratt, Olivia Perry and Whitehead—in a pre-game ceremony as the trio played in the final home game of the season.
 
Castleton is on the road at Eastern Connecticut at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday night for the LEC Quarterfinals.