Middlebury's Alexa Mustafaj became the first player in program history to score 2000 points in the Panthers' 72-63 loss at Tufts. Photo by Michael Last Photography.
Hope and Emory won close games, while Smith rallied to win in double overtime, Middlebury knocked off previously perfect Amherst, and UW-Stout lost at home.
The New Year brings a new-look Top 25 with lots of movement after the holiday tournaments. DeSales enters the poll for the first time in nearly a decade and Middlebury enters for the first time ever. Plus Scranton moves up to No. 3 and Mary-Hardin Baylor rises into the Top 10.
The Middlebury women’s basketball team saw its season come to an end with a 79-41 loss at 10th-ranked Amherst on Sunday afternoon. The Jeffs improved to 22-2 overall and 9-1 in the league, while Middlebury concludes its season at 7-17 and 1-9 in conference action.
Trinity utilized a 10-0 second-half run and turned a close contest into a 65-50 victory over Middlebury at Oosting Gymnasium Friday evening. The visiting Panthers (7-16, 1-8) conclude their season Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. game at Amherst.
Suffolk held off a late surge by Middlebury, as the Rams earned a 56-53 win over the Panthers (7-15) in their season finale in Pepin Gym. Middlebury wraps up its season this weekend when they travel to Trinity Friday and Amherst on Sunday, while Suffolk hosts MCLA on Thursday.
On Senior Day at Pepin Gym, Bowdoin broke an early 6-6 tie with a 14-0 run and never looked back, running away from the Panthers for a 92-55 NESCAC victory. The 22nd-ranked Polar Bears (19-3, 6-2), who never trailed in the contest, connected on 19-33 shots from the floor in the first half, making 7-11 three-pointers. In contrast, Middlebury (7-14, 1-7) hit on just 10-28 field goal attempts, and was just 3-13 from behind the arc, as Bowdoin took a commanding 55-30 lead into the break.
Leading 37-31 at the half, Colby opened the second stanza with a 15-4 run to pull away from Middlebury for a 79-61 win at Pepin Gym. The Mules (7-15, 1-7) connected on 12-27 three-pointers, while holding the Panthers to only 2-16 from long distance. Middlebury (7-13, 1-6) returns to action on Sunday hosting Bowdoin, while Colby heads to Tufts on Valentine’s Day.
Scarlett Kirk scored 20 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, as the Panthers received some clutch free-throw shooting and broke a five-game skid with a 59-55 non-conference road win at Keene State on Tuesday night. Middlebury returns to action on Friday night when they host Colby at 6:00 p.m.
Middlebury scored just two buckets over the final 2:42, as Hamilton (8-10, 2-4 NESCAC) held on for a 57-53 win on Sunday at Hamilton’s Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. Caroline Barrett scored a career-high 20 to lead the Continentals over the Panthers.
Despite Elizabeth Knox's third career double-double, Middlebury dropped a closely contested NESCAC game to 14th-ranked Williams 60-55 in Pepin Gym. The Panthers (6-11, 1-4) held the largest lead of the game with an early 11-2 advantage, but the Ephs (18-2, 4-2) closed the gap, eventually retaking the lead in the second half. Middlebury will look to rebound with a NESCAC road game against Hamilton on Sunday, while Williams hosts Bates on February 7th.
Middlebury dropped a non-conference road game on Thursday night, falling 75-62 at Norwich (7-7) in Andrews Hall. The Panthers placed five players in double figures, but were unable to pick up the victory as they fell to 6-10 on the year. Middlebury is now idle for eight days, returning to action next Friday night when they host Williams at 6:00 p.m.
Carlee Smith scored a game-high 19 points to go along with eight assists, four rebounds and three steals to lead the Connecticut College team to a 70-63 NESCAC victory against Middlebury at Luce Field House Sunday.
Following four-straight home contests, the Middlebury women’s basketball team hit the road for NESCAC play and fell to Wesleyan by a 59-51 score in Silloway Gym. A 10-2 run near the midway point of the second half propelled the Cardinals (11-4, 2-1) to the home victory against the Panthers (6-8, 1-2). The Panthers return to action on the road Sunday against Connecticut College at 12:00 p.m., while Wesleyan has over a week off before it takes on Connecticut College on Saturday, January 25th at 2:00 p.m.
The Middlebury College women’s basketball slowly pulled away in the opening stages of the second half against Colby-Sawyer Tuesday evening and turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 65-58 victory in Pepin Gym. The Panthers (6-7) return to the court and jump back into NESCAC play Friday evening with a 6:00 p.m. game against Wesleyan, while Colby-Sawyer (6-7) plays Friday at Husson.
The Middlebury College women’s basketball hung with No. 7 Tufts for much of the first half during NESCAC action Sunday afternoon in Pepin Gym, but the Jumbos produced a late surge in the final minutes of the first half and never looked back en route to a 70-44 victory. The Panthers return to the court Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. when they host to Colby-Sawyer, a team the blue and white defeated on November 17th, 59-43.
Middlebury topped Bates 67-54 in Pepin Gym in the NESCAC opener for both teams as Scarlett Kirk and Elizabeth Knox each recorded a double-double for the Panthers. Middlebury (5-6, 1-0) continues its NESCAC schedule hosting Tufts on Sunday afternoon, while Bates (7-6, 0-1) travels to the University of New England on Monday in a non-league contest.
Scarlett Kirk recorded team-highs of 13 points and eight rebounds for Middlebury but Plattsburgh State (6-3) jumped out early and hung on Tuesday evening for a 58-54 victory over the Panthers inside Pepin Gym. Middlebury slips to 4-6 for the season and will open NESCAC action Friday at home against Bates at 6:00 p.m.
The Middlebury women's basketball team saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 64-38 road loss at Medaille. The Panthers return to action on January 7th when they host Plattsburgh at 5:30.
Sarah Marcus scored a career-high 27 points to lead Middlebury to a 76-63 win over Smith (2-5) in Pepin Gym. The Panthers even their record at 4-4 on the season and will return to action on Friday at Medaille.
Leading 24-22 at intermission, Middlebury opened the second half with a 12-2 run against visiting Oberlin en route to a 56-44 win at Pepin Gym. In the first game after a three-week hiatus for both teams, the Panthers (3-4) started slowly, but found their shooting touch later in the first half, overcoming an early 9-2 deficit.
Middlebury dropped a non-league contest to Skidmore 63-50 at the Williamson Sports Center as Amber Holgate scored a career-high 15 points off the bench for the Thoroughbreds.
A coast-to-coast lay-in by Castleton’s Jade Desroches with four seconds left gave the visiting Spartans a 53-51 win over Middlebury at Pepin Gym. Middlebury (2-3) attempted a desperation, game-winning three as Laura Lowry’s mid-court shot hit the back-iron as time expired. Both teams return to action on Saturday as the Panthers, owners of a 17-8 lead in the in-state series, are on the road at Skidmore, while Castleton (4-1) hosts New England College.
Middlebury evened its record to 2-2 with a 48-42 road win at Johnson State (0-4) on Tuesday night. Katie Pett went 5-8 from the floor, earning 17 points to go along with a game-high 20 rebounds on the night. The Panthers return to action on Tuesday when they host Castleton State at 5:30 p.m.
Middlebury saw its 27-23 halftime lead over Emmanuel turn into a 38-28 deficit early in the second half as the Saints spoiled the Panthers’ home-opener with a 65-43 road win at Pepin Gym. Emmanuel (4-1) came into the game hitting just 1-23 three pointers, but connected on 5-14 from long distance, hitting on 29-54 from the field, while holding the Panthers (1-2) to 14-50 shooting for the game.
Middlebury led wire-to-wire versus Colby-Sawyer, beating the hosts 59-43 in the final game of the Colby-Sawyer Tip-Off. The Panthers (1-1) will host Emmanuel on Saturday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. while the Chargers (0-2) will travel to 10th-ranked Tufts on Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. tip.
In Middlebury’s season-opener, Katie Pett matched career-highs with 16 points and 23 rebounds, but the Panthers fell short to Fitchburg State 63-58 at Colby-Sawyer College. After Laura Lowry hit a three with 46 seconds left to play, giving Middlebury a 58-57 lead, the Falcons closed out the game with six consecutive free throws to secure the win. Middlebury (0-1) returns to action on Sunday, playing the host school at 1:00 p.m.
Middlebury's Mustafaj hits milestone
January 18, 2025Middlebury's Alexa Mustafaj became the first player in program history to score 2000 points in the Panthers' 72-63 loss at Tufts. Photo by Michael Last Photography.
