GORHAM, Maine – The Castleton University men's basketball team lost a Little East Conference road contest at University of Southern Maine on Friday night by a final score of 73-65.
 
The Spartans drop to 5-13 overall this season and 0-9 in LEC play with the loss, while Southern Maine improves to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in league play. Castleton shot 36.8 percent from the field, knocking down 21-of-57 from the floor and 33.3 percent from three, hitting 7-of-21 from long range. The Huskies hit 60.0 percent from the floor, making 27-of-45 and shot 35.3 percent from distance, making 6-of-17 from behind the arc. USM also held a 32-26 edge in rebounds.
 
Castleton was paced by a team-high 12 points and seven rebounds from Justin Schwarzbeck. Darrell Hardge was the only other Spartan in double figures with 11 points. Jordan Hunt added seven points and four boards in his first action for the Spartans, while Johnny Torrence and Oluwadare Sowunmi had eight points apiece.
 
Trevor Ward led all scorers with 13 points for USM, while Cody Hawes added 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Huskies. Chance Dixon, Simon Chadbourne and Clay Kuhn had nine points apiece.
 
The Huskies opened the game up 5-0, after the two sides traded scores to a 10-5 USM lead, Castleton went on a 10-2 run to claim a 15-12 edge at the midway mark of the opening half. The Huskies scored six straight points from there, reclaiming the lead 18-15, but two free throws by Sowunmi brought it back to a one-point game, 18-17. USM continued to apply the pressure, racking up nine unanswered points to stretch the lead to double digits before Hunt knocked down a three-pointer for the Spartans. After a USM three answered Hunt's triple, Torrence and John Walsh notched back-to-back scores to end the half with the Spartans trailing by six, 30-24.
 
Southern Maine began the second half with an 8-2 run to push its lead back into double figures, 38-26, but a three by Schwarzbeck stopped the bleeding briefly before a three by the Huskies put the lead back to double digits once again. The Huskies continued to pull away, outscoring Castleton 11-4 over a five-minute stretch in the middle of the second half to extend the lead to 17 points, 52-35. A 7-1 run by Castleton pulled the Spartans closer, but the Huskies kept Castleton in a double-digit hole the remainder of the game to seal the 73-55 final.
 
Castleton is back in action Wednesday night at Plymouth State at 7:30 p.m.