JOHNSON, Vt. — The Northern Vermont University-University-Johnson women's basketball team fell to Thomas College 51-40 after a late rally by the Terriers on Friday evening.
In a contest where eight out of nine players scored, Johnson was led by senior Mariah Ramos (Lebanon, NH) with 12 points and nine rebounds. The Badgers also received key baskets from senior Mary Richardson (Vernon, VT) as she scored nine points on 2-6 shooting from behind the arc and 3-4 from the foul line in the final minutes to put pressure on the Terriers. Thomas was led by Molly Horton with 12 points and eight rebounds and Molly Carroll with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Badgers and Terriers traded buckets through the first quarter after Ramos put Johnson on the board first. After five lead changes, it was Richardson's second made three point shot of the quarter that deadlocked the score 9-9 entering the second quarter. A quick three by Ramos gave the Badgers a 12-9 lead before both teams locked down on defense and kept each other at bay. Johnson extended the lead to 17-11 after five quick points by Devin Libby (Burlington, VT) and Lindsey LaPerle (Bethel, VT). Johnson entered halftime with a 23-20 advantage over the Terriers.
To start the second half, the squads traded baskets but the Terriers regained a 28-27 advantage with 8:18 remaining off a made free throw by Molly Carroll. Freshman Alexandra Barry (Hopewell Jct, NY) answered with a jump shot of her own to steal the lead. The Terriers then capitalized on an offensive lull by the Badgers, making a 7-4 run to close the quarter to give Thomas a 35-33 advantage.
Johnson fought back in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, tying it up at 37-37 with 6:33 remaining. After a 9-0 run by the Terriers, Johnson tried to battle back and brought the game back within six points. The Badgers were unable to close the gap before time expired, falling 51-40 to the Terriers.
The Badgers fall to 2-12 over and 0-5 in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play in the loss, while Thomas improves to 4-10 overall and 3-2 in the NAC.
NEXT UP
The Badgers will host the Beavers of the University of Maine Farmington on Saturday, January 12th in a North Atlantic Conference matchup. The women's game is slated to tip off at 3:00pm following the men's 1:00pm contest.