CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University men's basketball team won a thriller at the buzzer in Glenbrook Gym on Wednesday night, downing Russell Sage College 77-75 in non-conference action.
After Castleton (2-2) forced a shot-clock violation on Sage,
Tray Wright went coast-to-coast for the win with less than six seconds remaining in the contest, laying the ball off the glass and in for a two-point lead with 0.7 seconds showing on the clock. Sage's (0-3) hail-mary attempt was unsuccessful as the horn sounded on a Spartan victory.
Wright finished the night with 22 points and four steals,while
Joe Russell and
Alex Blackmore chipped in 13 points apiece. Russell had a team-high eight rebounds and nine assists.
John Walsh added 11 points off the bench and
Carter Mackey had nine.
Jackson Brown and Noah Girard each had 20 points for RSC, which was looking for its first win of the season. Darvin Lovette had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Gators.
Castleton shot 49.2 percent from the floor, hitting 31-of-63 on the night. The Spartans struggled from long range, making just 5-of-23 from three-point land. The Gators made 28-of-67 for 41.8 percent from the floor, and connected on 9-of-24 from three. Both sides made 10 free throws. Sage won the rebounding battle 46-34 including a 15-7 margin in offensive rebounds, but Castleton held the Gators to just five second-chance points from those 15 boards. Castleton turned 17 Gator turnovers into 20 points, claiming a 20-6 margin in points off turnovers.
The two sides battled back-and-forth in the first half, with Sage taking a five-point lead around the midway mark, 18-13. Castleton chipped away at the deficit and regained the lead itself Wright finished off a layup for a 21-20 edge. The lead grew to 24-20 after a Mackey layup and Russell free throw. Castleton maintained the four-point lead at halftime, 40-36.
Castleton took an 11-point lead in the early minutes of the second half, opening the frame on a 7-0 run. Sage battled back knot the score at 54-54 after an 11-0 run of its own. Castleton took a narrow lead once more, but Sage tied the game multiple times in the ensuing minutes. The Gators regained the lead with less than eight minutes to play, and held a three-point lead with 5:23 on the clock. Walsh cut the lead to one before Wright hit a layup to give Castleton a 71-70 edge.
The Gators tied it with a free throw and took a two-point lead with 2:08 when Tahirou Hamidou hit a jumper at the elbow. Russell drove for a layup to tie the game before Lovette gave Sage a 75-73 advantage with a driving layup.
Justin Schwarzbeck found Blackmore with a pass through the lane to knot the score at 75-75 with 39 seconds to play, giving each side one final possession. Castleton forced a shot-clock violation on Sage, holding the Gators without a shot on their last opportunity. Wright took full advantage, driving the left sideline and to the rim before laying in the winning basket.
Castleton returns to action Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Barre Auditorium in the Barre Granite Association College Classic against NVU-Johnson.
