CENTER VALLEY, Penn. — The Middlebury College women’s basketball team won a first-round NCAA Division III game this past Friday before falling on Saturday in a regional final to host DeSales, 70-55.
The 20-8 Panthers posted the program’s first 20-win season since 2002 and the program’s fifth overall.
On Saturday host No. 10 DeSales took charge with a 10-0 run to close the first quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 21-10 lead. The Panthers cut the lead to 36-27 at the half and used a 7-0 run — buckets by Betsy Knox, Alex Huffman and Kira Waldman — to pull within four early in the third period.
But DeSales pulled away steadily from there by holding the Panthers to 28 percent shooting from the floor.
Colleen Caveney led the Panthers with 16 points, while Knox contributed with 11 points. Maya Davis recorded 10 points and 10 boards, and Huffman and Waldman each finished with eight points.
Morgan Birmelin (19 points, eight assists and five steals) and Samantha Shinkus (18 points and eight rebounds) paced DeSales. 
In Friday’s first-round game the Panthers knocked off John Carroll, 62-54. John Carroll finished at 22-6.
The Blue Streaks led by as many as seven in the first half and pushed their lead to 34-28 early in the third quarter, but Middlebury went on a 15-0 run to take the lead, with Davis contributing seven straight points.
The Panthers led by 49-42 after three periods and held off a late rally as Huffman and Knox combined to hit six straight free throws. Huffman also hit a key three-pointer.
 Waldman led four Middlebury players in double figures with 15 points. Knox netted 12, while Davis and Huffman each scored 11 points and grabbed eight boards. Catherine Harrison chipped in four points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Nicole Heffington paced the Blue Streaks with 15 points, while Schmoo Pryor finished with nine.