MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Middlebury Panthers scored the first 10 points of the game and held off a furious Bobcat rally to defeat the Bates women's basketball team 63-55 Saturday afternoon.
Bates (14-7, 6-4 NESCAC) never led in the contest but made the game interesting down the stretch.
Leah Poorman and Augusta Dixon sparked the early Middlebury run, each connecting from behind the three-point arc. The Panther defense also did its part, holding Bates off the scoreboard for more than six minutes. Middlebury (12-10, 6-4 NESCAC) led 17-4 after the opening frame, limiting the Bobcats to only 11.1 percent (2-18) shooting from the floor.
In the second stanza, the hosts took their biggest lead of the contest (23-6) with 7:16 showing on the clock following a fast-break bucket by Alyna Baharozian. The Bobcats were able to close the margin to single digits by the end of the half, going on a 14-4 run, capped by a field goal from junior
Brianna Gadaleta (Chappaqua, N.Y.). Alexa Mustafaj closed the scoring in the final seconds, giving the Panthers a 29-20 cushion at the break.
Gadaleta closed Bates to within a point (33-32) with 3:39 showing on the clock in the third frame, but Middlebury notched four-straight points from the foul line to extend the advantage. A driving lay-up by Michaela Sullivan and two free throws by Mustafaj pushed the difference to 41-32, before Gadaleta scored from in the paint for the Bobcats to make it a 41-34 Panther lead.
In the fourth quarter, Middlebury regained its double-digit edge and led by as many as 14 (54-40), but a 7-0 run pulled Bates back to within striking distance. Twice, Bates got to within three points, but two key baskets by Sullivan and a trio of free throws by Mustafaj secured the 63-55 victory for the Panthers.
Mustafa led Middlebury with 20 points. Sullivan netted 13 points, while Dixon finished with a dozen. Bethany Lucey led Middlebury with seven rebounds.
Gadaleta paced Bates with 20 points and 11 boards, while senior
Mia Roy (Bedford, N.H.) added 16 points and junior captain
Meghan Graff (South Portland, Maine) chipped in with 15 and eight rebounds.
The Panthers shot 40.8 percent (20-49) from the floor, while the Bobcats hit on 31.9 (23-72).
Bates now awaits its seeding in the upcoming NESCAC Championships, which will be announced on Monday.
