KEENE, N.H. – The Castleton University women's basketball team picked up an important win on Wednesday night, defeating Keene State 59-45 on the road in Little East Conference action.
 
The victory improves Castleton to 11-5 overall and 4-3 in LEC play, while Keene drops to 3-11 on the year with a 1-7 mark in LEC play. After a sluggish start, Castleton dominated the remainder of the game, finishing the night shooting 37.7 percent (20-of-53) with a 41-32 edge in rebounds and a 30-6 advantage in points in the paint. Castleton also hit 16-of-19 free throws. Keene shot just 26.9 percent from the floor as the Spartan defense limited the Owls' chances.
 
Liz Bailey had 19 points to lead all scorers, knocking down 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. Elise Magro added 17 points with five steals and three assists, while Kelly Vuz reached double figures as well with 13 points and eight rebounds. Gwyn Tatton grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and had four assists as well.
 
Keene was led by 13 points from Elizabeth Gonyea and 12 from Valerie Luizzi. Rylee Burgess had seven rebounds.
 
The Owls raced out to a 9-0 lead behind a trio of three-point field goals to start the game, but Castleton held the Owls scoreless over the final 6:45 of the first quarter while scoring 11 unanswered to hold an 11-9 lead after 10 minutes.
 
Keene's scoreless streak continued well into the second quarter, as the Spartan defense held the Owls without a point for a total of 12 minutes while growing the lead to 20-9. Magro hit a pair of baskets at the end of the run for Castleton to push the lead to double figures before the Owls got back on the board. Castleton scored the final four points of the half to go to the locker room leading 26-16.
 
Vuz hit a three for Castleton to open the third quarter before both sides went scoreless for nearly three minutes. Bailey broke the scoring drought with a layup to make it 31-16. The two sides went back-and-forth for a bit before Castleton again scored the final four points of the frame—two free throws from Bailey and a buzzer-beating layup from Vuz—to take a 46-25 lead into the final quarter.
 
Magro and Bailey dropped in layups with Bailey adding an and-one free throw to hers early in the fourth to stretch the gap to 51-25. Two more baskets by the duo minutes later made it 55-28 before Keene found its offensive groove with a 12-0 run that spanned four minutes and cut the Spartan lead to 55-40. The two sides traded scores over the final two minutes with Castleton closing out the 59-45 victory.
 
The Spartans return to action Saturday at Rhode Island College at 1 p.m.