CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's basketball team earned its first Little East Conference victory of the season, defeating UMass Dartmouth 98-91 in a thrilling contest Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans opened the scoring with a three-pointer by Ben Seiler, and after a quick response from UMass Dartmouth (8-7, 3-2 LEC), Troy Butler followed with three points off a trip to the free throw line, giving Castleton an early 6-2 lead.

Both teams traded baskets throughout the first half, with the lead changing hands multiple times. At the 6:31 mark, Will Radcliff put the Spartans ahead for good with a key bucket, and Castleton held a 48-42 lead at the break.

The second half was equally fast-paced and competitive. Though UMass Dartmouth managed to tie the game on a few occasions, the Spartans never trailed. With just six minutes left in the game and the lead down to two points, Radcliff calmly drained free throws, sparking a late 21-16 run by Castleton that secured the 98-91 win.

Seiler led the charge for Castleton, finishing with 21 points and three assists while shooting 8-of-15 from the field. Radcliff posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Butler and Justin Schwarzbeck each added 14 points. The Spartans also got strong contributions from Leonard Brice (11 points) and Crisrael Lithgow, who scored 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Castleton dominated the boards, outrebounding the Corsairs 42-34, and also capitalized on turnovers, winning the points-off-turnovers battle 23-8. The Spartans also outscored UMass Dartmouth 22-5 in second-chance points.

The Spartans will look to build on this momentum when they travel to Plymouth State for another LEC matchup on Tuesday, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.