JOHNSON, Vt. – Thomas College women's basketball team slipped by Johnson State College in a hard fought North Atlantic Conference (NAC) match up Saturday afternoon at Carter Gym. The Badgers are now 2-8 overall and 0-4 in the NAC. Thomas moves into next week 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the NAC.
Johnson placed three players in double-figures during the contest and saw nine players put points on the board. The host team's offense was led by freshman guard Mary Richardson (Vernon, Vt. / Brattleboro) (pictured) with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Sophomore forward Ashley Jones (Jeffersonville, Vt., Lamoille) tallied 11 points, four rebounds and one assist while freshman teammate Lazrin Schenck (Shelburne, Vt. / Champlain Valley Union) contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Thomas also placed three players in double figures and were led by their freshman forward Megan Pelletier (Winslow, Maine / Messalonskee) with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists. Freshman forwards Ashleigh Gagne (Waterville, Maine / Waterville) and Jasmine Bishop (Waterville, Maine / Waterville) banked 14 and 13 points respectively to help the Terriers towards their first conference win.
Both teams would get off to a slow start showing a score of 9-8 with 9:35 left in the first half. The Badgers and the Terriers would then sprint their way to a 15-15 tie leaving 7:11 on the clock. The visitors would jump ahead 20-30 and hold the lead until Brittany Robertson (Burlington, Vt. / Burlington) banked a 3-point shot followed closely by a 7 point run which brought Johnson within three points of the visitors. The teams would head into the locker room 30-27 at the half Thomas' advantage.
The Badgers and the Terriers would battle back and forth for the first part of the second half answering each other's baskets. With 7:38 left in the second half the teams were deadlocked at 51-51 until Pelletier would make two free-throws bringing another round of back and forth baskets.
The climax of the game would come with seconds remaining on the clock and Johnson leading by three when Thomas' Emilee Reynolds (Newport, Maine / Nokomis) collected an offensive rebound, scored the basket and was fouled setting up a game-tying free-throw attempt. Reynolds missed the free-throw but the ball came off several hands and ended up back with Reynolds who would go on to score the game winning basket as the buzzer sounded.
Johnson will face another NAC game against Green Mountain College on Tuesday at 5:30pm. Thomas will return home to host Husson on Tuesday at 5:30pm for a NAC match up.