CASTLETON, Vt. – Freshman Edmund Fitzgerald made a pair of free throws with 5.0 seconds and a last second New England College shot was off as the Spartans held on for a 59-57 win in Glenbrook Gym on Saturday evening. 

In the waning seconds of regulation, Fitzgerald drove along the baseline with the shot clock winding down and was hit as he attempted a layup. With 5.0 seconds left the forward rattled home the first and made the second free throw for a 59-57 advantage. After a Castleton timeout, NEC inbounded the ball to Dezron Wilson and he sprinted up the court and got off a three from the wing as the buzzer sounded but is was no good. 

Castleton finished the game shooting just 34.0 percent from the floor but recorded ten steals to improve to 5-10 and 4-4 in the North Atlantic Conference. The Pilgrims, meanwhile, made 38.5 percent of their attempts overall but went just 5-for-25 from downtown as they dropped to 5-9 and 2-5 in conference action.

Fitzgerald was a force around the hoop all night, registering his first career double-double with career-bests of 16 points and 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive end. He also added four assists and one block. Pavin Parrish was also in double figures with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals while Rob Coloutti chipped in 13 points and three steals. 

Wilson was the only NEC player in double figures with his line of 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Jakhalil Smith added nine points, four rebounds and two blocks while Joel DeMadet contributed nine rebounds and six points. 

Castleton actually jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes, highlighted by a three from Casey McGraw. However, the Pilgrims responded with a 9-2 run to pull within one, 12-11 on a layup by DeMadet at 12:23. The Spartans countered with seven consecutive points and then Coloutti made it 22-12 on a triple midway through the period. 

Over the next seven minutes Castleton kept up the strong play and Joshua Horton eventually stretched the advantage to 34-21 on a shot from downtown with 3:02 remaining. The Spartans then led by 13 points with one minute left in the half, before five free throws by Wilson, including three after getting fouled on a three-point attempt at the buzzer, made it 36-28 at the break.

The Spartans extended their lead back to ten, 41-31, nearly five minutes into the second half, before a 10-3 NEC spurt made it just 44-41. The Pilgrims eventually pulled with two, 46-44 at 9:13 and tied it less than two minutes later at 48 apiece. With 7:09 left, Jake Vickery gave NEC its first lead, 51-50 on a three, however, Coloutti responded with one of his own for a two-point lead with 5:04 left. 

Layups by DeMadet and Georges Frantzy pulled the Pilgrims back in front, 55-53, but Fitzgerald made a nice layup to tie it 55 apiece with 2:02 left. He then was fouled 30 seconds later and made both free throws for the 57-55 lead. Wilson countered on a slicing layup with 1:11 to tie it, but both teams turned the ball over before Fitzgerald was fouled in the last seconds to set up the final sequence. 

Castleton is back in action on Friday when the team travels to play Husson at 7:30 pm on the road.