A big second half propelled Middlebury past Skidmore 64-48 at Pepin Gymnasium. A 29-27 lead at the intermission quickly got to double digits and key free throw shooting down the stretch by the Panthers kept the visiting Thoroughbreds at bay. The 4-1 Panthers head to Union College on Saturday while the 3-2 Thoroughbreds travel to Western New England College.

Middlebury fell behind early in the game and trailed by as many as eight points. Behind 24-16 with 7:20 to go, the Panthers went on a 13-3 run to end the first half. Katie Fisher led the comeback with three baskets, while Ashley Barron's three-pointer with 1:06 left gave Middlebury the 29-27 lead heading into halftime.

The Panthers never looked back, going on a 10-1 run extending their lead to 39-28 with 16:00 left in the game. Skidmore's lone second half threat cut the lead to 43-37 at the 12:17 mark. Middlebury answered with an impressive 20-5 run building a 63-42 advantage with a little over three minutes remaining. During the decisive run, the Panthers were 12-14 from the line.

Middlebury was led by Katie Fisher's game-high 18 points and Lani Young's 11. Ashley Barron chipped in eight points and equaled the game-high in rebounds with nine. Emily Johnson also had nine boards for the Panthers.

Skidmore's Stephanie Fox led the Thoroughbreds with 10 points as Sharlyn Harper collected nine rebounds.