CASTLETON, Vermont – The University of Maine at Farmington women's basketball team fell to the Castleton Spartans 76-67 in the opening game of the Spartan Classic on Friday evening.
The Records:
Following the loss, the Beavers dropped to 2-3 on the season, while the win for Castleton improved their record to 2-3 as well.
How it Happened:
Castleton jumped out to an early 10-4 lead behind five points from Stasia Epler. The Beavers hung around in the first quarter, behind five points from sophomore forward Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine) and four points off the bench from first-year guard Jaydn Pingree (Jay, Maine).
Trailing 22-17 after the opening ten minutes of play, a free throw and a layup from Pingree to open the second quarter got Farmington back within a basket. But that was as close as the Beavers got for the duration of the game. Anytime the Beavers pulled within a two-possession game, the Spartans had an answer, keeping distance between the teams.
Following Pingree pulling the Beavers within two, a three from Epler and Emily Adams highlighted an 8-2 spurt for Castleton, who extended their lead up to eight with six minutes left to play in the opening half.
Castleton started to create a little bit of separation midway through the third quarter. After the Spartans took a 39-32 lead into halftime, Castleton pushed their lead up to 14 with just over three minutes to play in the quarter. A layup from Sarah Poli (Benton, Maine) followed by a three-point play from Grace Dwyer (Manchester, Maine) cut the Beavers' deficit back to nine. A jumper from Adams in the closing seconds of the third helped Castleton regain a double-digit lead heading to the 4th.
The 4th quarter was a back-and-forth, high-scoring battle as Castleton never led by more than 13 while the Beavers were unable to get the deficit below eight. Pingree scored seven points, five coming from the free-throw line, and Dwyer and Makayla Emerson each scored six points in the quarter for Farmington.
Stats of the Game:
The Spartans' biggest advantage came on the glass, outrebounding the Beavers 49-29 to pick up their second win of the season. Farmington shot 34.8% (24-69) from the field, and the Spartans shot 37.8% (28-74). Castleton had a small 16-13 turnover advantage.
Leaders - Farmington:
- Pingree scored a team-high 16 points, knocking down 8-of-12 from the free-throw line in 17 minutes off the bench.
- Emerson shot 6-for-10 from the floor, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds.
- Dow added 12 points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
Leaders - Castleton:
- Adams finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-for-25 shooting. She also finished with 10 rebounds to record a double-double.
- Epler also finished with a double-double, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
UP NEXT:
The Beavers will take on RPI tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM in game two of the Spartan Classic.
