CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University women's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday, as the Spartans dropped a Little East Conference contest to Eastern Connecticut State by a final score of 56-43 at Glenbrook Gym.
Castleton shot 26.7 percent from the floor (16-of-60) as it fell to 9-4 overall and 2-2 in LEC play. Eastern hit shots at a 39.7 percent clip (25-of-63) to improve to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the LEC. ECSU won the rebounding battle 43-41 and led for more than 80 percent of the contest. Both sides committed only 12 turnovers, but Eastern converted those into 16 points while Castleton cashed in just 10 points from turnovers.
Liz Bailey was Castleton's only double-digit scorer in the game, pouring in 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting. She also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double and blocked three shots on defense.
Elise Magro had eight points and 11 rebounds, coming up just shy of a double-double of her own while adding four assists and three steals.
Kelly Vuz added eight points and
Emily Adams had seven.
Eastern was led by 17 points from Anna Barry, who also grabbed 11 rebounds. Taylor Salato had 14 points off the bench and Mariah Dunn added 12 points. Dunn and Salato had six rebounds each. Danielle O'Brien led all players with six assists.
Castleton got on the board first with a jumper from Vuz that
Gwyn Tatton assisted, but a three by Julie Keckler on the other end gave the Warriors a brief lead. Back-to-back layups by Bailey and Magro made it 6-3 Castleton before Barry tied the game with a three-point play. Adams hit a baseline jumper for Castleton to make it 8-6 before 6-0 run put Eastern Connecticut on top 12-8. An Adams layup and Bailey free throw made it 12-11, but the Warriors hit two field goals in the final minute of the first quarter to carry a 16-11 lead into the second frame.
Castleton bounced back with five unanswered points to begin quarter number two, as Bailey hit 1-of-2 at the line before dropping in a layup next time down the floor.
Luna Perry-St. Peter then made a basket to level the score at 16-16. Eastern responded with a 9-0 run of its own to make it 25-16 before the two sides traded scores into the halftime break. ECSU led 29-20 at the half.
The Spartans opened the second half on a 7-2 run to draw within four, but Eastern pushed the lead back to eight with a Salato jumper and Dunn layup.
Maggie McKearin hit a pair of free throws to bring Castleton within six with four minutes left in the third before Salato made another layup to push the gap back to 37-29. Unanswered threes by Vuz and Adams to end the third quarter drew Castleton within two, 37-35, with just 10 minutes to play.
A layup by Tatton to start the fourth leveled the game at 37-37, but Barry made two straight layups for Eastern to give the Warriors a four-point cushion, 41-37. After a pair of Bailey free throws drew Castleton within two, Eastern went on an 8-0 run to extend the lead to double digits for the first time all night. Vuz made it an eight-point game again with two free throws, but a Keckler triple put the game out of reach at 52-41 with two minutes to play.
Castleton returns to action Wednesday night at Plymouth State at 5:30 p.m.
