The Middlebury women's basketball team battled back from a 13-point deficit in Friday's third quarter, but #15 Bowdoin edged the Panthers 68-65 in a NESCAC contest.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The teams traded small advantages throughout the first quarter, with neither side owning greater than a two-point edge. The stanza saw nine lead changes and a pair of ties, as Middlebury took a 19-18 lead on a last-minute layup from Brooke Collins.
• The Panthers opened the second frame with six of the initial eight points for a 25-20 lead, with Alexa Mustafaj accounting for all the scoring.
• The Polar Bears answered with a 6-0 spurt that covered 2:56 of play, grabbing a 26-25 edge on a layup by Callie Godfrey.
• After the sides traded buckets, Bowdoin tallied the last five points of the stanza on a layup and a shot beyond the arc by Godfrey for a 35-31 lead at the break.
• Augusta Dixon cut the deficit to a pair (35-33) on a turnaround jumper on Middlebury's first possession of the third quarter. 
• The visitors rattled off a 7-0 run spanning 2:18, securing a 42-33 lead on a basket by Abbie Quinn.
• The Panthers chipped away, slicing it to a five-point contest (42-37) on a driving layup from Calie Messina with 5:22 remaining.
• Bowdoin posted an 11-3 run, grabbing its largest lead of the contest of 53-40 on a layup from Sydney Jones.
• Middlebury recorded the final five points of the frame. The Panthers carried that momentum into the fourth stanza, combining for a 12-2 spurt, highlighted by a shot-clock beating deep three from Dixon, to move to within three (55-52) with 7:29 left.
• The Panthers eventually moved to within a pair (61-59) on a Dixon layup at the 4:48 mark, but the Polar Bears ripped off the ensuing five points for a 66-59 advantage.
• Middlebury pulled to within three on an old-fashioned three-point play from Mustafaj with 20 ticks remaining.
• Bowdoin missed a pair of free throws in the waning seconds, but the Panthers were unable to get a potential game-tying shot off as the Polar Bears secured the 68-65 win.

NOTES

• Dixon continued her string of stellar performances, posting a career-best 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. She also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for her third-straight double-double, which was her fifth of the season and the 10th of her career.
• Mustafaj posted 23 points, marking the 43rd time in a Middlebury uniform that she has eclipsed the 20-point plateau.
• The programs met for the 44th time on Friday evening.

Middlebury concludes its three-game home week on Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. tipoff against Colby.