MIDDLEBURY, VT. 1/29/09 - The Keene State women's basketball team bounced back from Tuesday's tough LEC loss against Eastern Conn. with a closely-contested 48-44 non-conference victory over Middlebury College  at Pepin Gym Thursday night. The game was marred by 52 combined turnovers, as both teams shot nearly identically from the floor. The Panthers (7-11) hit 15 of 49 shots, while the Owls connected on 15 of 50 from the field.  Keene State, winners of four of its last five games, improves to 15-4.

The first half saw five lead changes as neither team could muster a lead bigger than three points before a lay-up by Keene's Michele Boudreau (Readsboro, Vt.) gave the Owls a 19-15 lead with 2:01 left in the half. Kaitlyn Fallon cut the lead to 19-17 on a lay-up with 35 second remaining. The basket highlighted a big first half for Fallon, as she went 3 for 3 from the field and grabbed six of her game-high 15 rebounds.

The Panthers tied the game at 19 apiece in the second on a pair of free throws by Elissa Goeke at the 19:14 mark. Keene State responded with a three by Kristin Degou (Newburyport, Mass.), building their lead to as many as eight points with 8:14 left in the game. Middlebury went on a 13-4 run to retake the lead with 3:12 left on the clock. Emily Johnson keyed the comeback, adding seven points during the run, including a traditional three-point play for the one-point lead. Boudreau hit a pair from the line to recapture the lead with 2:59 left. Keene State continued to hit their free throws down the stretch, hitting their next six from the line for a 48-42 lead before Lauren Sanchez hit a jumper, cutting the lead to 48-44 with nine seconds on the clock. The Panthers fouled immediately, sending the Owls to the line. Keene State missed both free throws, but the Panthers could not get off a shot in the final seconds.

Johnson led the Panthers with 12 points, as Sanchez chipped in 10. Fallon netted eight points to go with her game-high 15 rebounds. Four Owls were in double-digits, highlighted by Boudreau's dozen, as Degou, Nicole Simmler (Oxford, Mass.) and Alyssa Sapp (Hartford, Vt.) each scored 10 in the victory. Simmler added a team high seven rebounds.

Keene State returns home to face R.I. College on Saturday.