DANBURY, Conn. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's basketball team was defeated by conference opponent Western Connecticut Saturday afternoon, 103-65.
The Basics
Final Score: WestConn 103, VTSU Castleton 65
Location: Feldman Arena – Danbury, Conn.
Records: WestConn 12-5, 5-3 LEC | VTSU Castleton 5-11, 0-7 LEC
How It Happened
Ben Seiler opened the scoring for the Spartans, knocking down a three-pointer off a pass from Will Radcliff, and sparked the early offense by scoring 15 points while shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. Adam Bilodeau and Zach Thompson each connected from beyond the arc to tie the game four minutes in. Castleton stayed hot early, using an 8-0 run to take a 17-9 lead.
Around the seven-minute mark, the Spartans fell into a scoring drought, allowing WestConn to work their way back into the game. The Wolves tied the game with 11:33 remaining in the first half before going on an extended scoring run to build a 50-32 lead at half.
WestConn continued to build on its momentum in the second half, steadily extending their lead as the Spartans struggled to keep pace. Castleton cooled offensively after a strong start, shooting just 40.0 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from beyond the arc in the second half, while the Wolves capitalized on turnovers, scoring 40 points off Spartan errors to pull away with the win.
By the Numbers
- Seiler had a big scoring night for the Spartans, leading the team with 20 points and going 7-17 from the field and 6-9 from beyond the arc.
- Radcliff also had a big scoring night, matching Seiler with 20 points while adding nine rebounds and four assists.
- WestConn outshot the Spartans, going 56.2 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three-point range, and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. Castleton shot 42.1 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three, and 66.7 percent from the line.
What's Next
The Spartans will travel to face UMass Boston in Little East Conference action Wednesday, January 21, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
