MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s basketball team won once in three recent outings and will carry a 4-6 record into NESCAC action, which opens this weekend.
The Panthers will host Bates at 6 p.m. on Friday, and Tufts visits at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
On this past Tuesday, visiting Plattsburgh built a 40-26 second-half lead, but had to hang on for a 58-54 victory. The Panthers were at the free throw line down by two in the final minute with a chance to tie, but missed both.
Plattsburgh took a 31-20 halftime lead, and then opened the second half with a 9-6 run to take the 14-point lead that was the Cardinals’ largest of the contest.
The Panthers then went on a 19-8 run capped by a Sarah Marcus jumper to make it 48-45 at 5:48. Later, Scarlett Kirk’s putback made it a two-point game at 1:33, but Kirk later missed the key free throws. She recorded team highs of 13 points and eight rebounds, while Kristina Conroy scored eight with five boards. Brittany Marshall scored 19 for the Cardinals, who improved to 6-3.
On Friday, the Panthers fell, 64-38, at Meadville. The hosts led at the half, 35-20, and went on a decisive 17-2 run early in the second half. Laura Lowry led Middlebury with 11 points, while Kirk scored nine with five rebounds. 
On New Year’s Day, Marcus scored a career-high 27 points to lead Middlebury to a 76-63 win over visiting Smith (2-5). Smith took an early 15-10 lead, but the Panthers used a 20-4 surge on the way to taking a 36-20 lead at the break and led by at least 10 throughout the second half.
Marcus knocked down 12 of her 19 shots, while Lowry scored 13 with nine assists. Elizabeth Knox netted 10 points, while Kirk scored eight with 10 boards.