The Middlebury women's basketball team outscored Colby-Sawyer 17-2 in the third quarter on its way to a 55-38 victory Wednesday in Pepin Gymnasium. The contest marked the final non-conference game of the season for the Panthers.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening four minutes of the contest, highlighted by six points from Alexa Mustafaj.
• The Chargers answered by scoring eight of the next 12 points, pulling to within four (12-8) on a three-point field goal from Marissa Holt with 1:31 left in the quarter.
• A shot from beyond the arc by Mustafaj gave the hosts a seven-point edge after 10 minutes of play.
• The Panthers maintained their lead for much of the second quarter, pushing it to 26-16 on a layup from Claire Miller before a three from Colby-Sawyer's Marissa Holt cut it a seven-point deficit at the half.
• A jumper from Brooke Collins moved the edge back to nine, before a layup by Colby-Sawyer's Elyza Mitchell with 9:23 remaining in the third quarter brought the visitors back to within seven (28-21). 
• Middlebury's defense held the Chargers scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, forcing the visitors to go 0-9 from the floor and commit five turnovers. 
• The Panthers increased their lead to 22 (43-21) on a jumper by Emily Downer headed to the fourth.
• That advantage grew to as many as 24 (45-21) in the early seconds of the fourth quarter on a layup from Leah Poorman as Middlebury cruised to the 55-38 victory.

NOTES

• Mustafaj led all scorers with 25 points, giving her 494 points this season. That mark surpasses her point total from last season and moves her into fourth place in the program's single-season records.
• The Panther guard has scored 20 or more points in 15 games this season and 30 of 46 career contests.
• Middlebury, who ranks second in the NESCAC in both field-goal and three-point percentage defense, limited Colby-Sawyer to 27.7% from the field and 23.5% from beyond the arc.
• The Panthers and Chargers have played 42 times with Middlebury owning a 29-13 advantage. The Panthers have claimed victory in seven of the last eight meetings.
• Middlebury head coach KJ Krasco is a graduate of Colby-Sawyer and a 2014 inductee into the school's Hall of Fame.