CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's basketball team fought hard but was unable to capitalize on late momentum, falling to the University of Massachusetts Boston in overtime, 89-85, on Wednesday evening.

The Spartans opened the scoring with a trip to the free-throw line by Troy Butler, taking an early 2-0 lead. UMass Boston responded quickly and built a seven-point lead midway through the first half, 29-22. Butler sparked a turnaround, draining two three-pointers in 32 seconds, leading an 11-2 run that gave Castleton a 33-31 lead with 5:02 left. The teams traded baskets in the closing minutes, but the Spartans managed to hold a 46-43 advantage at the break.

The Beacons came out strong in the second half, with Emanuel Zayas hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 46-46. UMass Boston continued its momentum, eventually gaining a nine-point lead with under three minutes remaining in regulation, 75-66. But Castleton mounted a late charge, sparked by a seven-point run that included five quick points from Ben Seiler. Will Radcliff and Justin Schwarzbeck made back-to-back blocks, electrifying the crowd, and Schwarzbeck capped off the rally with four points in the final seconds—two free throws and a buzzer-beating layup—to force overtime at 77-77.

In overtime, the Beacons won the tip but quickly lost possession on a held ball forced by Zach Thompson. Thompson followed with a steal, setting up Schwarzbeck for a jumper to give Castleton a 79-77 lead. UMass Boston responded with a 7-2 run to take an 84-81 lead, but Thompson again kept the Spartans in it with a key defensive play in the paint, cutting the lead to one point, 84-83. A foul on Zayas sent him to the free-throw line after a three-point attempt, and his makes helped push the Beacons' lead to 87-83. Schwarzbeck added another layup with 25 seconds left, but the Spartans' comeback bid fell short as they lost 89-85.

Butler led the team with 22 points, shooting 7-26 from the field, 3-9 from beyond the arc, and 5-6 from the free-throw line. He also contributed four steals and three assists. Radcliff posted a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, along with three steals and two blocks. Schwarzbeck also recorded a double-double, tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.

VTSU Castleton will return to action on Saturday, traveling to Rhode Island College for a 2 p.m. Little East Conference matchup.