The Middlebury women's basketball team outlasted Tufts 90-82 on Saturday in a triple-overtime thriller on Senior Day. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Trailing by one in the opening quarter, the Panthers put together a quick 7-2 spurt for an 11-7 edge on a jumper by Augusta Dixon.
• Tufts battled back in the frame, grabbing a 16-13 lead on a three-point field goal by Maggie Russell with 1:30 left.
• A trio of free throws by Alexa Mustafaj in the final 22 seconds of the stanza drew the hosts level at 16 points apiece after one quarter of action.
• Clinging to a one-point lead (23-22) at 6:24 of the second frame, Middlebury reeled off eight unanswered points over the next 3:05, taking its largest advantage of the contest (31-22) on a three by Calie Messina.
• The Jumbos ripped off 10 of the last 11 points of the stanza, tying the contest 32-32 on a shot from beyond the arc by Russell heading into the halftime break. 
• The third quarter featured five ties and four lead changes with neither side possessing greater than a three-point lead. A layup in the waning seconds from Katie Hollensteinter gave the hosts a 52-51 edge.
• The fourth stanza was like the previous one with the lead changing hands three times with four ties. A pair of charity tosses from Russell gave the Jumbos a 67-65 advantage with 1:30 left in regulation before a reverse layup by Dixon on a nifty pass from Brooke Collins knotted the contest at 67-67.
• Both teams had a chance to win the game in the final minutes, but each defensive unit locked down and sent the game to overtime.
• The first two overtimes were tightly contested with neither side possessing greater than a three-point edge during the stretch. 
• Tied at 80-80 in the third extra session, the Panthers posted 10 of the last 12 points, including eight from Mustafaj to earn the hard-fought 90-82 victory.

NOTES

• Before the contest, the program honored seniors Lucey and Emily Downer for their efforts and contributions during their respective careers.
• Dixon had a tremendous all-around game. She posted a career-high 35 points to go along with 12 rebounds for her sixth-consecutive double-double. Dixon also tallied a career-best five blocked shots in the triumph.
• Collins and Lucey each posted career bests, with Collins handing out five assists, and Lucey tallying five helpers.
• Mustafaj finished with 31 points, marking the fifth time this season and the eighth time in her career that she has surpassed the 30-point plateau.
• The contest marked the first triple-overtime contest in Middlebury women's basketball since a 106-96 setback to St. Lawrence on February 16, 1999.
• The last Panther win in the series against Tufts came on January 21, 2006 in a 57-53 overtime decision.

Middlebury returns to action on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. when it travels to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The contest will be the first between the schools in women's basketball.