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WbbBenchCelebration23Hamilton
Middlebury's bench erupts in cheers as the Panthers extend the lead.
52
Hamilton HAM 12-11,5-5 NESCAC
66
Winner Middlebury MIDWB 15-10,5-5 NESCAC
Hamilton HAM
12-11,5-5 NESCAC
52
Final
66
Middlebury MIDWB
15-10,5-5 NESCAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Hamilton HAM 14 18 11 9 52
Middlebury MIDWB 7 14 22 23 66

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Panthers Notch 66-52 Comeback Win Over Hamilton In NESCAC Quarterfinals

The fourth-seeded Middlebury women's basketball team trailed by as many 14 points late in the third quarter, but came from behind to down fifth-seeded Hamilton 66-52. With the victory, the Panthers advance to the NESCAC Semifinals and will take on top-seeded Tufts on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. During the triumph, Alexa Mustafaj eclipsed the 1,000 career point plateau. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 edge, but Hamilton responded with a 14-1 run to take a 14-5 advantage with 1:17 remaining in the quarter.
  • Mustafaj converted a pair of free throws in the final minute to bring the difference to seven (14-7) at the break.
  • Trailing 20-9, Middlebury rattled off seven of the next eight points, sparked by a three-pointer from Calie Messina, to cut the deficit to 21-16 at the 6:57 mark.
  • The Continentals answered with a 7-3 burst over the ensuing 5:06, extending the lead to 32-19. 
  • In the final seconds of the half, Mustafaj forced a Hamilton turnover and recorded a fast-break layup to make it 32-21 heading into intermission.
  • Trailing 36-23, Mustafaj and Bethany Lucey sank back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to seven (36-29) with 6:09 left in the third.
  • Hamilton responded with seven unanswered points, increasing its advantage to 43-29 with exactly four minutes left on the scoreboard.
  • Middlebury answered with its decisive 14-0 run, sparked by seven-consecutive points from Mustafaj, to knot the contest at 43 points apiece after three-quarters of action.
  • The Panthers carried their momentum into the final stanza, going on a 15-3 run over the opening 6:05 of play to take a 58-46 advantage to put the game away for good.
  • Middlebury eased to the 66-52 triumph to secure a spot in the semifinals next weekend.
NOTES
  • Mustafaj tallied 30 points during the win, moving into ninth place on the Panthers' all-time scoring list with 1,023 and third place on the single-season list (547). Mustafaj also converted eight charity tosses during the win, moving into second on Middlebury's single-season list with 117.
  • Middlebury will make its first appearance in the conference semifinals since 2019 next Saturday.
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