CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's basketball team closed out its 2024-25 slate with a tough loss at the hands of the University of Southern Maine on Senior Day, 110-89.
Prior to Saturday's game, VTSU Castleton honored its two graduates,
Isaiah Francis and
Justin Schwarzbeck.
The contest started with a technical foul assessed to the home team due to issues with the shot clock equipment, which allowed USM to record its first point of the game as Brady Saunders was successful on his free throw. The visitors extended their lead to 3-0 after Thomas Whalen made a pair of free throws. Both squads put up a trio of buckets, with
Will Radcliff owning Castleton's to make it 9-6 with four minutes elapsed on the clock. The teams traded twos and threes to make it 21-19 before five points from Radcliff (3) and
Crisrael Lithgow (2) gave the Spartans the lead, 24-21 at 12:17. The Huskies answered with a bucket from distance by Bryce Lausier to knock it at 24-all. Despite leading 34-30 off buckets by Radcliff and
Zach Thompson, the visitors were able to regain the lead and grow their advantage to 11 points at the half, 53-42.
The second half opened with a
Ben Seiler triple assisted by Lithgow to make it 53-45. USM answered with a 19-13 run to own an 18-point advantage with 13:45 remaining in the contest (76-58). Five points by
Troy Butler and a jumper by Radcliff shifted momentum in favor of the Spartans as they were able to battle back within four points by the halfway mark, capped off by another Seiler three-pointer, 78-74. The game remained within striking distance until the five-minute mark when the Huskies went on a 15-2 run to lead 110-86 with 1:26 remaining in the contest. Owning the last three points of the contest was
Conner McKearin as he went 3-for-4 on two trips to the charity stripe, leaving Southern Maine victorious, 110-89.
Radcliff led Castleton's efforts with 25 points and seven rebounds. He also added two steals and one block in the loss.
Seiler had himself a day as he went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc en route to racking up 18 points, three rebounds, and one steal. McKearin (14) and Butler (12) also surpassed double digits in scoring.
As the Spartans' season comes to a close, they look to return nine student-athletes to the roster, with Radcliff, Seiler, and Lithgow returning for their senior seasons.
