CASTLETON, Vt. – The Spartans had a chance to tie the game in the final 30 seconds but couldn't covert and Colby-Sawyer held on for the 78-73 victory on Saturday afternoon at Glenbrook Gym in North Atlantic Conference action.

Castleton held a slight advantage midway through the second half but the Chargers went on 14-0 run to take the lead for good. The Spartans shot just 38.7 percent from the field but did record 13 steals as they dropped to 14-11 and 12-6 in the NAC. Colby-Sawyer shot 42.6 percent from the field and owned a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points as they improved to 13-12 and 13-5 in the conference.

Mark Comstock was the team's top scorer, going off for 26 points on senior day. He also added six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Tyler Ackley added 17 points, seven assists, five steals and four rebounds. Chad Copeland was also in double figures with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Mike Dias was a workman inside, with 19 points and ten rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the floor. Wol Majong added 16 points and ten rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Zach Bean came off the bench to pour in 11 points.

Comstock opened the scoring with a layup, but Colby-Sawyer went on a quick 6-2 run to take back the lead. Jeremy Odena hit a pair of free throws and Comstock drilled a shot from downtown to put the Spartans in front 9-6 at 15:40. The teams traded baskets until four straight by Dias gave the Chargers a 13-10 advantage.

Copeland hit three free throws to tie it up, but a 6-2 run pushed Colby-Sawyer in front 19-15. Castleton battled back to within one at 21-20 on a layup by Copeland with 5:26 left. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth until a 7-2 run by Comstock put the Spartans up 29-26. However, the Chargers scored the final six points of the half to take a 32-29 lead at the break.

Castleton opened the second on a 9-2, the final bucket by Copeland giving Castleton a 38-34 lead just 3:13 into the half. The Spartans maintained their slight advantage over the Colby-Sawyer, with a Logan White jumper making it 51-46 at 12:14. Comstock then extended the lead to seven with a three-point play with 10:03 left.

The Chargers responded with a vengeance, scoring 14 unanswered points to grab a 64-57 advantage over Castleton with 6:44 remaining. The Spartans cut the deficit to four, but didn't make a run until Ackley drained a triple with 47 seconds left to make it 76-70.

Following a Colby-Sawyer turnover, Ackley hit another shot from downtown to slice the lead in half with just 31 seconds remaining. The Chargers missed a pair of missed free throws, giving Castleton a chance to tie the game, but couldn't Comstock's three bounced off the rim. The Spartans had to foul and then Chargers hit two free throws over the final ten seconds to secure the five-point victory.

Castleton's 12-6 conference mark earns them the fourth seed in the upcoming NAC Tournament. The Spartans will host No. 5 Lyndon St. on Tuesday evening.