PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Castleton University men's basketball team battled Rhode Island College to overtime on Saturday afternoon, but the Spartans came up short in the extra period by a final score of 63-55.
 
The Spartans led 30-25 at halftime, but RIC outscored the Spartans by the same 30-25 margin in the second half as the teams went into a five-minute overtime deadlocked at 55-55. The Anchormen outscored Castleton 8-0 in overtime to take the victory.
 
Carter Mackey led the Spartans with 11 points and four steals. Justin Schwarzbeck added 10 points with seven rebounds while Patrick Forstmann had nine points for Castleton. Tray Wright had seven points with three steals. John Walsh hauled in six rebounds and Brandon Cahill dished out five assists.
 
Ousmane Kourouma led all players with 22 points and 16 rebounds for RIC, while Anthony Rivera had a double-double of his own with 19 points and 15 boards. Kalu Uga came up one rebound shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
 
Castleton shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) compared to RIC's 35.1 percent (20-of-57), with Castleton hitting eight threes to RIC's two. The Spartans held the Anchormen to just 2-of-25 from beyond the arc. The difference came at the free-throw line, with Castleton making 3-of-8 and RIC hitting 21-of-31 at the stripe. 20 offensive rebounds for the Anchormen led to 17 points while Castleton's nine offensive boards did not net any points.
 
The Spartans ran out to an 8-2 lead over the first five minutes, and extended the gap to 12-4 after back-to-back baskets by Walsh and Wright. RIC stormed back with a 5-0 run to make it a one-possession game, but a triple by Mackey gave Castleton a 15-9 lead with less than 10 minutes to play in the opening half. A layup by Mu Moore and a three by Forstmann gave the Spartans a nine-point lead, 20-11. The two sides traded blows the rest of the half, with RIC working the gap back to just five points at the break, 30-25.
 
Mackey pushed the lead back to seven points to start the second half, but an 8-0 run by the Anchormen over the next four minutes put the hosts on top for the first time since the opening possession of the game, 33-32. Castleton responded with a 9-0 run of its own to take a 41-35 lead, with Evan Pockette burying a three during the stretch. A later three by Schwarzbeck made it 46-37 Spartans and Wright kept the lead at nine points with a layup after a RIC bucket. Six straight points by the Anchormen pulled the home side within three, 48-45, but Schwarzbeck stopped the bleeding with a three to give Castleton a 51-45 lead with five minutes remaining.
 
After two free throws by RIC, Jordan Hunt hit a three for Castleton to make it 54-47, but a pair of free throws and an ensuing layup by RIC's Uga began a 6-0 run that pulled the Anchormen within a point, 54-53. Wright made 1-of-2 at the other end of the floor to give Castleton a two-point cushion with 1:13 to play, but two free throws made by RIC over the final minute leveled the game and forced overtime.
 
Neither side scored in the first minute of OT, but RIC got on the board with two free throws with 3:43 left. A three-point play by Kourouma pushed the Anchormen lead to 60-55. Three more free throws in the final minute cemented the 63-55 victory for RIC.
 
Castleton returns home to face Lesley on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.