The Middlebury women's basketball team put together an 11-0 first-quarter run and a 6-0 spurt in the second stanza on its way to open 2024 with a 57-37 victory over Wellesley.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Knotted at 4-4 early in the opening frame, the Panthers rattled off an 11-0 run spanning 2:54 of action. Alexa Mustafaj highlighted the run with six points.
• The Blue chipped away at the deficit over the rest of the quarter, cutting it to seven (15-8) on a buzzer-beating jumper from Jiyan Chae.
• Mustafaj opened the second stanza by scoring the first six points to give Middlebury a 21-8 advantage with 6:29 remaining before halftime.
• The hosts maintained the double-digit edge, taking a 26-14 lead into the break on a driving layup from Kale Tornwini in the waning seconds.
• Wellesley quickly tallied the first four points of the third quarter, moving to within eight (26-18) on a free throw by Mirella Funari with 8:22 showing on the clock.
• The Panthers answered with back-to-back layups by Tornwini, increasing the lead back to 12 (30-18).
• The teams traded baskets over the remainder of the quarter before a jumper by the Blue's Trinity Barrow made the score 40-30 headed to the final frame.
• Middlebury tallied the first seven points of the fourth stanza, including an old-fashioned three-point play from Augusta Dixon, and was never challenged, pulling away for the 57-37 victory.

NOTES 

• Tornwini posted the first double-double as a Panther, pulling down a career-best 10 rebounds to go along with 12 points and a pair of blocked shots.
• Bethany Lucey grabbed a season-best 10 boards, marking the first time this season and the sixth time in her career that she has had double-digit rebounds in a game.
• Fueled by Tornwini and Lucey, Middlebury held a decided 51-30 rebounding advantage.
• The programs met for just the fourth time in women's basketball with the Panthers owning a 3-1 edge.

Middlebury returns to action when it begins NESCAC play on Friday with a 7:00 p.m. contest at Hamilton.