Alexa Mustafaj scored 18 points and became Middlebury's all-time leading scorer during Saturday's NESCAC Quarterfinal 59-48 win over Amherst. The fourth-seeded Panthers outscored the fifth-seeded Mammoths 41-22 in the second half for the come-from-behind victory. With the triumph, Middlebury advances to the NESCAC Semifinals next Saturday where it will take on top-seeded/#11 Bowdoin at a time to be determined.  
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Amherst raced out to a quick six-point lead, grabbing an 8-2 edge on a layup from Reeya Patel with 7:05 left in the first quarter.
• The Panthers whittled away at the deficit, cutting it to five (12-7) on a free-throw line jumper by Calie Messina to end the opening frame.
• The Mammoths pushed their lead to 15-7 on a three-point field goal by Anna Tranum to start the second quarter. 
• The visitors maintained that advantage, increasing it to 11 (24-13) on a driving layup by Tranum with 2:54 left.
• A shot from beyond the arc followed by a jumper from Messina brought Middlebury to within six (24-18) before a layup by Laura Mendell pushed Amherst's edge to 26-18 at the half.
• Middlebury slowly chipped into the Mammoth lead during the third quarter, tying the contest at 33-33 on a three from Messina with 53 seconds remaining. 
• After a free throw from Kori Barach gave Amherst a one-point edge, a three-pointer from Bethany Lucey gave the Panthers a 36-34 advantage.
• Knotted at 36-36 early in the final quarter, Middlebury manufactured an 18-6 run spanning 5:28 of action for its largest lead of the contest of 12 (54-42) with 3:18 left.
• The Mammoths got no closer than eight over the remainder of the contest, as Mustafaj knocked down 5-of-6 charity tosses down the stretch for the 59-48 win. Her record-breaking 1,603rd career point came on a free throw with 1:16 remaining.

NOTES

• Mustafaj also ascended the single-season record books, moving into third place with 567 points this winter.
• Augusta Dixon narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Her rebound total marks the 16th time this season she has pulled down double-digit boards in a contest and also marks the 11th-consecutive game.
• Messina poured in a career-high 19 points in the win.
• The programs played for the second time this season and the 35th time overall, as Middlebury has claimed the last three contests.
• Saturday's game was the first meeting between the programs in the NESCAC Tournament.
• The Panthers will make their second-straight appearance in the conference semifinals.

Middlebury continues its quest toward a conference crown next Saturday against the Polar Bears.