Women’s basketball wins, loses in close contests

Middlebury women’s basketball began NESCAC play with a 66-53 win over Bates in Pepin Gymnasium last Friday. The Panthers were solid and confident throughout; there was never a point at which anything but a win was expected.

They ended the first half with a 31-25 lead and remained 6-8 points ahead for most of the second half. This was a great start to the Panthers’ conference play, and it demonstrated that Middlebury is going to be a strong force in the NESCAC league this winter.

Middlebury had a balanced scoring game against Bates. Brittany Perfetti ’12 led Middlebury’s attack with 15 points. Lauren Sanchez ’11 scored 13 points, 11 of which came from an impressive record of 11 for 11 from the foul line.

Sanchez was able to hit these foul shots at big moments throughout the game in order to maintain Middlebury’s lead. Alana Wall ’10 scored 14 points with seven boards, Stephany Surrette ’12 scored six points with nine rebounds, and senior captain Kaitlyn Fallon ’10 earned 11 boards.

Middlebury returned to Pepin on Saturday in a tough loss against Tufts. The final score of Middlebury’s first NESCAC loss was 62-56 to the Jumbos.

Tufts, ranked 11th in the nation, proved to be a strong and dominant team. The Jumbos took an early lead, which they maintained throughout the game.

The first half ended with a score of 35-22, with Middlebury behind by 13 points. Tufts then reached a 16 point lead at the start of the second half.

The Panthers, however, responded with determination. Middlebury kept chipping away, and made it a three point game with a score of 53-50 with 4:57 remaining.

The game remained competitive, but Tufts maintained their lead until the end of the game despite challenges from the Panthers.

Surette had an incredibly impressive game. She scored a career high of 18 points in the game, shooting eight of 11 from the floor with eight boards. Perfetti again scored 15 points in the contest.

Fallon netted eight points with five boards.

Despite a tough loss to Tufts, Middlebury remained competitive throughout the entire game. After a win against Bates, the Panthers did not want to flatten out.

They carried their energy and confidence over to Saturday, and despite the loss, played with strength. While Tufts may have talented individuals, the Panthers have great cohesion as a team that is only building.

“As a team, we are strong,” said Perfetti, describing her team’s ability to work together.

NESCAC play this weekend made it clear that rebounding is undoubtedly one of Middlebury’s greatest strengths as a team.

Middlebury players Wall, Surette, Fallon and Jesse Miller ’13 create a powerhouse when it comes to rebounding. They proved this weekend to be relentless rebounders, on both the offensive and defensive ends. After this weekend, the Panthers led the NESCAC in total boards.

This weekend also marked the debut of first-year Leah Kepping ’13.

As the starting point guard, Kepping plays a huge role on the team, and was a key contributor to Middlebury’s two performances this weekend.

“[She possesses] poise and elegance on the court, regardless of which direction the game is going,” said teammate Perfetti.

This standout player is desribed as bringing a “sense of confidence” to the team that her teammates admire and respect.

The team’s youth has been an asset to the squad, with rookies Kepping and Miller making contributions to overall scoring and rebounding.

Returning sophomore forwards Elissa Goeke ’12 and Surrette ’12 have been a dominating presence at the boards, while guard Perfetti ’12 has made her presence known from outside the key, racking up points for the Panthers offensively.

A team full of young talent with a cast of veteran leaders to guide them, this season is sure to put the squad on the road to success in future seasons.

But for now, the team is focusing on the beginning of NESCAC play, looking not only to build on its 1-1 record thus far, but also to build a lasting reputation in the conference.

Middlebury, now with a record of 8-6, will return to action against Hamilton this week. The Panthers will resume conference play away against Connecticut College and Wesleyan this weekend.