CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker on Saturday afternoon, falling 58-56 to the University of Southern Maine in Little East Conference action at Glenbrook Gym.
The Spartans drop to 8-8 with the loss and 2-5 in LEC play while USM improves to 7-9 overall and 5-2 in league action. The Spartans outshot USM from the field 36.8 percent to 29.0 percent, but eight Huskies' threes made a world of difference as the Spartans connected just once from long range. VTSU Castleton made 13-of-18 free throws and USM hit 10-of-15 at the line. Rebounds favored USM 49-41, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass that led to 16 second-chance points. Castleton converted 14 USM turnovers into 18 points in the contest.
Liz Bailey led the Spartans in scoring with 18 points in addition to six rebounds and three blocks.
Elise Magro added 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Maggie McKearin dished out four assists and
Kathryn Moore grabbed seven rebounds.
Liz Cote led all scorers with 19 points followed by Tara Flanders at 14 and Tamrah Gould at 10 points for the Huskies. Flanders snagged eight rebounds as well and Amy Fleming had a well-rounded day with seven points, seven boards and four assists.
After a sluggish start, the Spartans picked up the offensive pace in the first quarter, posting an 11-2 run to go ahead 11-5 four minutes in. A 6-0 run later in the frame pushed the lead to 17-7, but five quick points from USM halved the lead to 17-12. Bailey dropped in a layup to close the scoring in the frame with VTSU Castleton leading 19-12 after the opening stanza.
The Huskies controlled play early in the second, using a five-point burst to pull within four before a later 9-2 run leveled the score at 26-26 with four minutes to play in the first half.
Arianna Coombs dropped in a layup to stop the run and put the Spartans back ahead, but a late three by Cote gave the Huskies the lead at halftime, 29-28.
VTSU Castleton took over the third quarter after an opening layup by Southern Maine. Epler hit a jumper to keep it a one-point game. After USM answered with a jumper of its own, the Spartans rattled off nine unanswered points to lead 39-33 with a minute to go in the frame. A single free throw by USM sent the game to the fourth with Castleton leading 39-34.
A quick three and 1-of-2 at the line drew the Huskies within a point just a minute into the fourth quarter, but the Spartans responded with four points of their own when Coombs hit a pair of free throws and Magro dropped in a layup. Gould stopped the Spartan run with a clutch three for USM but Magro once again answered with two free throws for a 45-41 lead. The Huskies then rattled off seven points in a row thanks to layups by Falnders that bookended a three from Cote, giving them a 48-45 lead. Moore hit a jumper near the low block to make it 48-47, but the Huskies hit a layup and then three out of their next four free throws to go ahead 53-47 with three minutes left.
Epler buried a pair of attempts from the line and Magro had another layup to make it a one-score game, but USM answered quickly on the other end to make it 55-51. Bailey battled in the low post to finish a layup with 1:29 to play that drew the Spartans within two points once more. Fleming stepped to the line and hit both free throws after being fouled, giving USM a four-point edge with 25 ticks to play. Epler hit two free throws after being fouled on a loose ball to make it 57-55. The Spartans fouled once more, and Fleming hit 1-of-2 to keep the Huskies' lead at just one possession—58-55.
After the second missed free throw, Moore grabbed the rebound to give the Spartans the ball with a chance to tie the game with a three late in the final seconds. Epler's attempt went off back rim and out beyond the three-point line, where Bailey collected and immediately shot again with less than three seconds left. She was fouled on the attempt, sending her to the line for three free throws and a chance to level the score.
Bailey hit the first, but after missing the second was forced to intentionally miss the final attempt to secure a final possession. Moore was fouled while rebounding the ball, giving the Spartans two more attempts to tie the score. Moore missed the front end of the two shots, and attempted to miss the second intentionally as well, but the rebound went out of bounds to give USM possession. The Huskies called timeout to advance the ball beyond midcourt, and finished the clock out after inbounding the ball to hold off the Spartans' comeback chances.
VTSU Castleton is on the road Wednesday night at UMass Boston at 2 p.m.
