The Middlebury women's basketball team began its 2018-19 season with an impressive 81-43 triumph over Lasell in Pepin Gymnasium on Friday in Middlebury Tip-Off Classic. Sixth-ranked Tufts defeated Springfield by an 89-51 count in the night's first game. The Panthers (1-0) return to action on Saturday when they face Springfield at 4:00 p.m., while the Lasers (1-1) play the Jumbos here tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

The Panthers scored the first six points of the contest, but the visitors cut the deficit to 8-5 with 6:26 left on a layup from Amanda Ortiz. Middlebury ended the opening quarter with a 15-3 run, grabbing a 23-8 edge on a jumper from Ivy Houde with 47 seconds left.

In the second stanza, Lasell chipped away at the lead, moving to within 29-18 on a three-point field goal by Breanna Muir with 6:22 showing on the clock. The Panthers tallied the next six points on three layups by Kira Waldman. After the visitors pulled to within 35-21 on an old-fashioned three-point play from Ortiz with 4:29 left, Middlebury ended the quarter on a 6-1 run for a 41-22 halftime edge.

Out of the halftime break, the Panthers slowly increased their lead to as many as 25 (59-34) on a free throw by Betsy Knox with 1:10 left in the quarter. The final stanza saw the Panthers maintain their double-digit lead, cruising to the 81-43 victory.

Maya Davis led four Middlebury players in double figures with 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds, while Colleen Caveney added 13 points. Lily Kuntz also had a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 19 rebounds, while Knox chipped in with seven points and a team-high five assists off the bench.

Ortiz paced the Lasers with 19 points and four steals, while Muir added eight points.

Lasell went 17-53 (32.1 percent) from the floor and was held to 4-27 (14.8 percent) from beyond the three-point line, while Middlebury finished 36-76 from the field (47.4 percent). The Panthers held a sizable 60-21 rebounding advantage, possessed a decided edge in points in the paint (50-18), second-chance points (23-3) and bench points (36-11).