CASTLETON, Vt. - Senior forward Sara Macary (Naugatuck, Conn.) poured in a season-high 32 points while classmate guard Leana Heitmann (E. Syracuse, N.Y.) added 20 to go along with some clutch shots down the stretch as the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball squad pulled out a nailbiting win at Little East Conference foe Vermont State University Castleton, 81-77, on Monday evening. Sophomore forward Fatmata Barrie (Staten Island, N.Y.) hauled down a game-high 13 rebounds while senior guard Malaysia Dingle (Randolph, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points and a team-high four assists.

The difference maker in the contest was rebounding. The Wolves snagged 41 off the glass while holding the Spartans to just 19. Macary earned a double-double as she pulled in 10 while Heitmann added five to go along with a team-high four steals and game-high two blocks. Emily Adams paced the hosts with 25 points which included a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe. Stasia Epler contributed 19 off the bench. 

It looked like the game could have been headed for a blowout as the visitors seized a 22-10 lead in the first quarter when Macary canned a jumper. Castleton would chip away at the deficit in the second. Epler drained a trifecta just before the break to trim it to a single digit advantage, 39-32.

It was close in the third until the Wolves reeled off a 20-11 run. Dingle capped the barrage when she drained a three-pointer just before the buzzer to make it 69-55 heading into the fourth. Macary took a feed from Heitmann to give WestConn its largest lead of the contest, 73-58, with just under six minutes remaining. Castleton then came to life with a powerful surge to knot the count at 73-73 with 2:30 to go. Moments later, the hosts captured the lead with 1:12 left to play when Adams scurried in for a layup, 77-75. However, the Wolves answered to hold off the comeback. Barrie powered home a basket off a pass from Heitmann to deadlock it at 77-77. Moments later, Heitmann raced in for a layup to regain a 79-77 lead with 13 ticks on the clock. Epler then misfired on a jumper and the Spartans were forced to foul Heitmann with three seconds remaining. After a timeout, she would sink the two ensuing free throws to seal the win.

With the victory, the Wolves improved to 9-13 overall and 4-9 in league play, while the Spartans dropped to 5-16 and 1-11. WestConn returns to the floor when they head to Keene State for an LEC matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.