GORHAM, Me. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's basketball team fell to the University of Southern Maine, 67-57, in a Little East Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.

Emily Dingmon led the Spartans with 15 points, followed by Stasia Epler with 12 and Arianna Coombs with 10. Epler also recorded a double-double, adding a team-high 10 rebounds.

Castleton opened the game with early buckets from Luna Perry-St. Peter and Natalie Royer, taking a brief 4-2 lead. Southern Maine responded quickly and gained control, finishing the first quarter with a 17-11 lead.

The Spartans came out strong in the second quarter, opening with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 17-17. The run was fueled by a pair of layups from Emily Adams and free throws by Dingmon. However, the Huskies countered with a 12-point run to take a 29-17 lead. Epler's free throws helped slow Southern Maine's momentum, but the teams exchanged points in the final minute, and the Huskies led 34-21 at halftime.

Southern Maine continued to control the game in the third quarter, extending its lead to 51-36 heading into the final period.

The Spartans showed resilience in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Huskies 21-16. Coombs started the quarter with back-to-back layups, and Castleton traded baskets with the hosts down the stretch. Epler hit a late three-pointer, but the Spartans' efforts fell short as Southern Maine held on for the 67-57 win.

Castleton won the second-chance points battle, 15-8, and outscored the Huskies' bench, 37-25.

VTSU Castleton will return to action on Wednesday, hosting UMass Boston at 5:30 p.m. in another conference contest.