MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s basketball team on Saturday closed out its home game against visiting Skidmore with an 11-2 run to rally for a 52-47 victory.
After also defeating Clarkson, 54-40 this past Wednesday, the Panthers concluded their first-semester play with a 6-1 record. They will next face Springfield on Dec. 30 in the first round of the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith Classic.
Middlebury’s defense was ranked seventh in NCAA Division III heading into Saturday, allowing 43.7 points-against per game. The two wins last week marked the fourth and fifth times this season the Panthers held opponents under 50 points.
Vs. Skidmore (3-5), the Panthers took a 30-24 halftime lead, but Skidmore quickly equalized with an 8-2 run out of the locker room. A trey by Middlebury’s Lily Kuntz and a basket inside by Betsy Knox restored the Panther lead with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter, but the Panther needed a Sabrina Weeks three-pointer in the final seconds to take a 41-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Panthers then went cold, failing to score for the first 5:57 of the final period, while six points from Thoroughbred Haley English gave her team a 45-41 edge. Colleen Caveney scored at 4:03 to break the ice, and one free throw apiece by Knox and Kaufman tied the game at 45-45 with 2:44 to go.
Veronica Moceri gave Skidmore a 47-45 lead with two foul shots at 2:42. At 0:46, Knox hitting a running jumper on the baseline, tying the contest for the final time
Alex Huffman then stole the ball, but missed a layup. But Harrison snared the offensive rebound and converted, putting her team in front for good at 49-47 with 17 seconds to go. Knox and Huffman then each stole the ball and hit two free throws to ice the win.
Caveney led the Panthers with 15 points, while Knox netted 10 with three steals. Harrison recorded eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Huffman contributed eight boards and four steals. Sarah Kaufman led the team with four assists and scored eight points. Kelly Donnelly led Skidmore with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Against Clarkson (4-4) on Wednesday, the Panthers clinched the win with a 10-0 run to open the fourth quarter that pushed their lead to 46-34 with 6:58 to go. The Golden Knights came no closer than eight points the rest of the way, and Knox went four-for-four from the line to seal the victory. 
Harrison finished with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds. Caveney scored 14 points, dished out six assists, had five rebounds and earned three steals. Rachel Collins netted seven points and two assists in 12 minutes of second-half action, while Huffman finished with seven rebounds. Stephanie Grobe paced Clarkson with 11 points and eight rebounds.