JOHNSON, VT. – The Johnson State College women's basketball team defeated Castleton University 61-59 in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) contest on Thursday night in Carter Gym.
The Badgers move to 3-4 on the season and 1-1 in the NAC, while Castleton is handed their first loss at 5-1, 3-1.
1st Quarter
The teams traded leads through the first period, with Castleton taking a 14-13 lead off a Makayla Farrara jump shot in the final minute. Farrara led all scorers in the quarter with seven, while Sarah Voorhis (Nashua, N.H.) and Kaitlyn Brouard (Milton, Vt.) led Johnson with four each.
2nd Quarter
After Johnson pulled the game even at 15 in the opening minutes of the second, the Spartans went on a 19-4 run to close out the half with a 34-19 lead. Farrara and Lindsay Sabo led Castleton with six points each in the second.
3rd Quarter
Johnson came out of the locker room strong in the third, scoring seven unanswered points to pull the game within six. Johnson continued to chip away, eventually pulling even at 37 and taking a 40-37 lead on a Brouard three-pointer. The teams continued to battle through the remainder of the period, with Johnson coming out with a 42-41 lead going into the fourth. Domonique Carter-Stanley (Norwalk, Conn.) and Kasey DeGreenia (Concord, Vt.) each scored six in the period for Johnson.
4th Quarter
Johnson tried to put Castleton away early in the fourth, going on an 11-0 run to go up 53-41. The Spartans answered with a 10-2 run of their own to bring the Johnson lead back down to 55-51. The teams stayed tight down the stretch, but Johnson refused to surrender the lead and came out with a 61-59 victory.
Johnson Leaders
Johnson was led by three starters in double digits, including a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double by Voorhis. DeGreenia and Carter-Stanley added 12 points each, with Carter-Stanley also recording six steals. Brouard added nine points to lead Johnson off the bench.
Castleton Leaders
Farrara led all scorers with 29 points, with Sabo adding on 13 of her own. Amanda Beatty collected a team high eight rebounds and contributed nine points.
Stat Breakdown
Johnson outshot Castleton from the field 36.8% to 28.2%. The long ball kept Castleton close, with the Spartans outshooting the Badgers 40.9% to 8.3%. Johnson held an advantage on the boards, 47-38, and were strong off the bench with a 15-3 advantage in bench points.
Next Up
The Badgers will travel to Green Mountain College on Saturday afternoon for a NAC showdown at 3:00 p.m.