CASTLETON, Vt. - It wasn't pretty, but the Spartans used a late run to separate themselves from Thomas and hit free throws down the stretch to earn a 92-76 victory over the visiting Terriers in Glenbrook Gym on Friday evening.

The contest featured 16 lead changes and eight ties, but in the end the Spartans were just too much on the boards and put too much pressure on Thomas. Castleton shot just 35.3 percent from the field but pulled down 27 offensive rebounds, which led to 21 second-chance points and also forced 28 turnovers that resulted in 25 points for the hosts. With the win, the Spartans improve to 11-7 on the season and 10-1 in the North Atlantic Conference. Thomas, meanwhile, drops to 9-7 overall and 6-5 in the NAC.

Sophomore Matt Cooney (Washingtonville, N.Y.) led Castleton with a game-high 18 points, eight boards, two assists and a pair of steals. Junior Dammy Mustapha (Bellows Falls, Vt.) recorded his second straight double-double, with 13 points and 11 boards while classmate Mark Comstock (Rutland, Vt.) chipped in with 13 points and five rebounds. In all 12 different players scored at least three points for the hosts.

Junior Jarrad DeVaughn (Brockton, Mass.) and sophomore Martin Cleveland (Portland, Maine) scored 16 points apiece to lead the Terrier offense. DeVaughn added nine rebounds while Cleveland had eight boards and three steals. Franklin Salvador (Somerville, Mass.) and Eric Westbrooks (Dublin, Ireland) were also in double figures with 13 and ten points respectively.

Castleton used some strong shooting early to jump out to a 15-10 lead in the game's first five minutes. However, Thomas responded with ten unanswered points over a two-minute span to take the five point lead. The Terriers continued to keep the Spartans at bay and saw their led go as high as seven, at 34-27, with 5:50 remaining in the first half. Castleton finally took back the lead on the heels of a 13-5 with just under three minutes remaining, but the teams went back and forth with Thomas grabbing a 51-50 advantage at the break.

The two teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the second with Castleton using the three-ball to eventually jump ahead 62-60. A pair of free throws tied it up at 62, but a Mustapha layup started a 7-0 run and put the Spartans ahead for good, 69-62, with 13:28 remaining. Thomas closed the gap within three two minutes later, but Castleton hit enough shots and played solid defense to finish with the 16-point victory.

The Spartans are back in action on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., when they host the University of Maine at Farmington, the only team to beat them in NAC play this season.