Middlebury's last-second shot to earn a win at Castleton (4-2) on Tuesday rolled around the rim and out, as the Panthers (2-2) fell to the Spartans 55-54. Middlebury returns home on Tuesday, entertaining NVU-Johnson at 7:00 p.m.

In the opening quarter, Castleton netted the initial four points of the contest and the lead grew to 13-4 on a three-pointer by Ryleigh Coloutti. Trailing 15-7, Middlebury finished the frame with an 11-0 run for an 18-15 lead, as Bethany Lucey and Alexa Mustafaj each scored in the final minute to put the visitors in front for the first time.

The Panthers got layups from Augusta Dixon and Emily Downer in the first 43 seconds of the second stanza to claim a 22-15 advantage completing a 15-0 run spanning two quarters. Middlebury used a 10-0 burst later in the frame to take its biggest lead at 41-20, with Reagan McDonald keying the run with a pair of three-pointers. The visitors carried a 41-24 lead into the break.

Castleton had big third quarter, thanks to a pair of modest runs. The Spartans scored eight-straight points to get the difference to single digits (43-34) and netted the final six before the horn, trimming the Panther lead to 45-40.

Elise Margo scored the first five points of the final 10 minutes for the hosts, knotting the score at 45-45. A conventional three-point play by Gianna Palli put Middlebury back in front by three, but a trey by Coloutti and a jumper by Gwyn Tatton quickly put Castleton in front 50-48. The Panthers regained the lead at 52-50 on a lay-up by Claire Miller, before Margo hit back-to-back field goals for the hosts to knot the contest.

Trailing 55-52 with just over a minute remaining, Downer hit from the floor and snared a rebound on the ensuing possession, giving Middlebury a final chance to pull out the win. The Panthers inbounded the ball with 4.4 seconds left, as Palli drove the left side of the lane, but her lay-up rolled around the rim and off the far side keeping the score at 55-54.

McDonald led Middlebury with 17 points on 6-10 shooting from the floor, including a 5-9 performance from behind the three-point arc. Lucey had a game-high 13 rebounds with five points, while Palli had seven points and six assists.

Margo led all scorers with 23 points, while Coloutti chipped in 14 points for the Spartans.

Middlebury shot 37.9 percent (22-58) from the floor, while Castleton hit on 35.4 percent (23-65). The Panthers held a 46-35 advantage on the glass, but were plagued by 19 turnovers.