Women's basketball wins two, drops one

Author: Brian Swenson

After a strong performances against WIlliams and Springfield and a tough loss to Norwich, the Middlebury women's basketball team's record now sits at an even 3-3. The Panthers went undefeated in the Williams Tip-Off Classic, gaining wins against the host Ephs as well as the Springfield College Pride.

Middlebury displayed a dominant performance in its victory over Williams, defeating the Ephs for the first time since 2001. The Panthers put four players in double digits for scoring on the night. Emily Johnson '09 and Ashley Barron '09, the team's starting guards and co-captains, had 17 and 15 points respectively. Guard Alana Wall '10 also had 16 points coming off the bench. Forward Kaitlyn Fallon '10 had a dominant night on the glass, pulling down 12 rebounds and scoring 16 points, which resulted in her first double-double of the season. The Panthers shot over 40 percent from the floor and behind the arc, a key part of their 86-75 victory.

Whereas in the previous game Middlebury's offense was the focal point, the defense had to get the job done in a narrow victory over Springfield 61-58. The Panthers had a rough night from the floor, shooting only 32.8 percent.

Strong defensive efforts came from Johnson, who finished with a game high 19 points as well as four steals, and Barron, who made up for a poor night of shooting by leading the team with four assists and five steals. Alison Wells '11 also had a strong defensive performance off the bench, blocking three shots and getting two steals in 17 minutes of play.

The team was also helped by a great offensive performance by rookie Brittany Perfetti '12, who scored 10 points on four of six shooting, including two three-pointers. After being down 29-27 at the half, the Panthers came alive in the second stanza, outscoring the Pride by five and sealing the victory.

Commenting on the two victories, Barron stated, "The team has done an outstanding job running the floor and getting out on the fast break." She also lauded "the team's patience in our new offense," claiming that it "has also been a great addition to our success in the beginning of the season."

On Nov. 25th, the Panthers suffered their first home loss to a strong Norwich team, 79-70. Middlebury held Norwich in check for the first half, leading at the break 33-31. In the second half, the Norwich offense came alive, as the Cadets shot a blistering 56.3 percent from the floor and outscored the Panthers by 11. The normally disciplined Middlebury squad had 26 turnovers in the game.

"We played good defense, but when a team gets hot from the field and hits key shots, there is nothing you can do to stop that," said Barron. Allison Needham '11 scored a team high 14 points and Wells scored 13 points coming off the bench.

Reflecting on the tough loss, Barron also noted: "we learn from games like that and remain confident in our ability to be a tough competitor in every single match we meet this season."

Additionally, co-captain Johnson earned NESCAC player of the week after averaging 20.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the 3-0 run Middlebury had against Lyndon State, Williams and Springfield.