Castleton, V.t – The Spartans didn't allow New England College to score more than 20 points in either half as they came away with a 65-35 victory to open up North Atlantic Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Glenbrook Gym. 

Castleton held the Pilgrims to just 20.4 percent shooting for the contest and 1-for-11 from downtown as the Spartans improved to 5-1 with the win. New England College turned the ball over 24 turns and recorded just five assists on their 11 field goals as the team dropped to 3-4 on the year. 

The Spartans outrebounded the Pilgrims 51-34 on the afternoon and recorded 13 steals while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor in the contest. Alyssa Leonard led the offense with 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting and added four rebounds and two assists. Jade Desroches had a solid all-around game with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks while Meghan O'Sullivan chipped in with 14 points and nine rebounds. 

Taylor Burgess was the only Pilgrim in double figures, as she scored 13 points. Kayla Lawlor added seven points but shot just 2-for-11 from the field. Tiffany Davis was solid off the bench with four points, five rebounds and one steal in just 11 minutes of action. 

Castleton scored the first eight points of the contest before Lawlor nailed a pair of free throws at 16:39 to put NEC on the board. The Pilgrims kept it close over the next six minutes, as a layup from Burgess made it 12-8 with 10:49 left. The teams traded baskets before a pair of Desroches free throws sparked a 9-0 Spartan run. 

Burgess ended a six-minute scoring drought with a three-point play at 2:01 to cut the lead to 25-13. However, Castleton pushed its advantage to 32-16 with eight seconds left in the half when Leonard found Desroches for a three. 

In the second, the Spartans extended their lead to 36-16 on Leonard layup just four minutes into the half. The teams traded baskets over the next seven minutes, until a 7-0 run by the Pilgrims cut the lead to 14, 46-32, with 9:23 left. Castleton responded by holding NEC without a field goal for the rest of the game and finished the contest on a 19-3run to earn their second 30-point win of the season. 

Heather Murdough grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to go with six points and three steals whileStephanie Bull came off the bench to provide eight points, five rebounds and three steals in just 15 minutes. 

Castleton returns to action Friday, when the Spartans host Maine Maritime at 7:30 pm in Glenbrook Gym.