MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s basketball team split two home NESCAC games this past weekend and is 15-6, 5-3 in NESCAC play heading into the final weekend of league action.
The Panthers play at 22-0 Amherst on Friday and at Trinity (11-9, 2-6 NESCAC) on Saturday. A win in either game will lock down the No. 4 seed for Middlebury in the NESCAC tournament, which starts with a quarterfinal on Feb. 18.
Connecticut enters the weekend in fifth at 4-4, but lost to Middlebury and must visit Colby and No. 23 Bowdoin (17-3, 6-2) this weekend. If the teams finished tied, Middlebury would earn the higher seed. Either Hamilton or Williams, each 3-5 but with wins over the Panthers, could move up if they win twice and Middlebury loses twice.
On this past Friday the Panthers defeated Colby (10-11, 2-6) in overtime, 64-49. The Mules scored the final nine points of regulation to force overtime, but the Panthers outscored Colby by 17-2 in the extra session.
Middlebury went on a 17-0 run to close the game, including hitting 11 of 12 from the line.
Alex Huffman finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, and went six-for-six from the line to spark Middlebury in overtime. Sarah Kaufman led the Panthers with 15 points. Catherine Harrison chipped in with 11 points off the bench, Kira Waldman added nine points, and Betsy Knox tacked on seven points and seven rebounds.
Colby’s M.K. Caverly scored 13 points and added five steals, while Emily Davis recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds in addition to four steals as the Mules forced 24 Panther turnovers. The Panthers forced 19 turnovers and outrebounded Colby, 39-30.
On Saturday, Bowdoin outscored Middlebury by 32-11 in the second quarter on the way to an 82-52 victory. The Polar Bears outrebounded Middlebury, 47-36, and committed nine turnovers while forcing 19 Middlebury miscues.
Huffman, Kaufman and Maya Davis each scored nine points, while Davis pulled down seven rebounds and Huffman added five. Caveney chipped in eight points.
Taylor Choate (12 points) and Marle Curle (10 points) led a Bowdoin attack that saw six players score at least eight points.