The Middlebury women's basketball team remained undefeated inside Pepin Gymnasium on the season, doubling up St. Lawrence 19-8 in Saturday's fourth quarter to lock down a 67-58 triumph.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gabby Stuart helped the Panthers find an early rhythm, netting the game's first points with a layup and adding a three-pointer with 2:45 elapsed to power a 7-3 start.
• The Saints responded with a 9-4 spurt, sparked by a four-point play from Jackie Malley, to claim their initial lead (12-11) with 4:19 left in the opening quarter.
• Middlebury parried the run with six of the next eight tallies, led by four from Sarah Chenette, to build a three-point advantage.
• Hannah Van Dyke and Margaret Dougher scored the frame's final four points to nab an 18-17 edge through 10 minutes.
• Ahead 24-23, St. Lawrence rattled off a 9-2 run spanning 4:32, leading 33-25 with 3:10 to go before the break.
• The Panthers concluded the half with five of the final seven points, trimming the deficit to 35-30 at the intermission.
• After conceding the first bucket of the third session, Middlebury stormed ahead with nine-straight points to move ahead 39-37. Stuart and Islay Moore joined forces for seven tallies in the surge.
• Mason Baker-Schlendering knotted the tilt with a jumper 21 seconds later, as the teams exchanged buckets to make it a 49-49 contest.
• The hosts thumped their stamp on the contest early in the fourth. Stuart netted seven to headline a 10-2 run over the initial 4:35 of play, during which the Panthers drew four fouls and sank four tosses from the stripe to lead 59-51.
• Malley looked to bring the Saints back into the contest with two free throws and a connection from range at the 1:50 mark, slicing the margin to four (62-58). Malley's three-pointer was the final basket for St. Lawrence, while Emma Kirck and Calie Messina netted five points in the final 55 seconds to wrap up the 67-58 decision.

NOTES

• Stuart posted a career-best 25 points in the decision, surpassing her prior mark in points by 10. The senior's 10 made field goals also doubled her prior best in the category.
• Moore extended her double-digit scoring streak to six games with her second double-double as a Panther, tallying 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Her trio of blocked shots was also her most in the navy and white.
• Chenette reached double figures for the sixth-consecutive matchup with 12 points.
• The sides battled for the 16th time with the Panthers owning a 10-6 lead in the series. Middlebury has won three of the four games between the schools since the series was renewed in the 2022-23 season.

The Panthers return to Pepin Gymnasium on Tuesday, January 6 to face Emerson at 5:30 p.m.