CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's basketball team was unable to stave off Eastern Connecticut's low-post attack on Saturday afternoon, falling 70-55 in Little East Conference action.
 
The Spartans (10-13, 4-10 LEC) were outscored 40-26 in the paint with Eastern (10-13, 8-6 LEC) shooting 53.4 percent as a team. The Spartans shot 28.8 percent from the floor but hit 10-of-12 at the free throw line.
 
Stasia Epler had a big day on offense, leading the way with 22 points. Elise Magro added 15 points after being honored with a Senior Day ceremony prior to the game. Magro also had four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Maggie McKearin led the Spartans with seven boards, while Arianna Coombs added six points and six rebounds.
 
Taylor Salato was a difference maker for Eastern, dropping 33 points on 15-of-23 shooting. She also had 14 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Neveah Clark added 16 points and six boards for the Warriors.
 
Eastern jumped out to a quick lead, scoring six unanswered to start the game before Magro got Castleton on the board with a layup from Epler. The Warriors scored the next 13 points, however, pushing the lead to 19-2 with four to play in the opening quarter. The Spartans settled down, playing evenly the rest of the frame to trail 26-8 through 10 minutes.
 
Neither team scored more than two unanswered field goals in the second quarter as VTSU Castleton began to buckle down on both ends of the floor. A jumper and a three on back-to-back possessions by Magro pulled the Spartans within 15 points midway through the quarter, but Eastern had the lead at 42-23 at halftime.
 
The third quarter got off to a good start for the Spartans, who responded to four Eastern points with six points of their own. A 5-0 run late in the frame pushed Eastern's lead to 23 points, a margin that held going into the fourth quarter—60-37.
 
The Spartans opened the fourth on a 6-2 run with five of the points going to Epler. After a 5-0 run by the Warriors later in the quarter, the Spartans ended the game on a 10-0 run over the last three minutes. Coombs, McKearin, Epler and Emily Adams all had points during the stretch, setting the final score at 70-55.
 
VTSU Castleton is back at home on Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. when it hosts UMass Boston in LEC action.