CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's basketball team defeated Western Connecticut State University, 85-78, in Little East Conference action Saturday afternoon in front of a home crowd.

The game started close, with the score tied at 9-9 after an and-one from Stasia Epler at the 5:17 mark. This sparked a 13-2 run for Castleton, which helped the Spartans take a 19-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Castleton came out strong in the second quarter. Epler opened the period with a three-pointer, followed by a layup from Maggie McKearin, pushing the lead to 24-11 just 35 seconds in. The Spartans stretched their lead to 14 points before heading into halftime with a 47-33 advantage, highlighted by a pair of Epler three-pointers.

Western Connecticut opened the second half with a quick five-point burst from Nia Rencher. However, Epler answered with two more three-pointers, keeping the Spartans ahead 53-38. The two teams exchanged baskets, with Castleton maintaining an eight-point lead, 62-54, heading into the final quarter.

The Wolves made a late push, cutting the deficit to just one point after Rencher's layup made it 73-72. But Castleton responded with an eight-point run, capped by a key possession in which Schuylar Nolan forced a held ball and fed Arianna Coombs for a score, pushing the Spartans to a 79-71 lead with 1:50 remaining. WestConn outscored Castleton 6-4 in the final minutes, but the Spartans held on for the 85-78 victory.

Epler led Castleton with 23 points, shooting 6-10 from three-point range. She also added three rebounds. Emily Adams (16 points), McKearin (15), and Coombs (14) also scored in double figures. McKearin, Nolan, and Luna Perry-St. Peter each grabbed seven rebounds.

Castleton returns to action at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, hosting Keene State for another LEC matchup.