GORHAM, Maine – The Vermont State University Castleton men's basketball team finished their season with a 90-70 loss to Southern Maine in conference play Saturday afternoon.
The Basics
Final Score: Southern Maine 90, VTSU Castleton 70
Location: Hill Gymnasium – Gorham, Maine
Records: Southern Maine 16-9, 11-5 LEC | VTSU Castleton 6-19, 1-15 LEC
How It Happened
Southern Maine surged out to an 11-0 start before
Jackson Doyle put Castleton on the board with a three-pointer. The Huskies continued to apply defensive pressure and extended the lead into double digits, but the Spartans responded midway through the half.
Joe Buxton sparked a 6-3 run with a jumper, and Doyle along with
Zach Thompson each connected from beyond the arc to trim the deficit to three. Despite the push, Southern Maine maintained its advantage and carried a 48-42 lead into halftime.
To start the second half, the Huskies quickly regained momentum, using a 10-0 run to extend the lead.
Ben Seiler stopped their uncontested run with a jumper five minutes into the half to get the Spartans going.
Will Radcliff followed with a basket inside as Castleton cut the deficit to under 10 with 13 minutes remaining.
The momentum shift proved short-lived, as the Huskies answered with an 8-0 stretch to rebuild a comfortable lead. Castleton held the edge on the boards throughout the game but could not overcome Southern Maine's scoring bursts. Castleton's offense slowed after halftime, shooting 12-for-38 (31.6%) from the field, 3-for-17 (17.6%) from three-point range and 1-for-4 (25%) from the free-throw line. Seiler led the way with key baskets in the second half, while
Conner McKearin and Radcliff each added points inside to keep Castleton competitive. Southern Maine shot 18-for-34 (52.9%) in the second half and outscored the Spartans 42-28 over the final 20 minutes to secure the 90-70 victory.
By the Numbers
- Doyle led the Spartans with 14 points and three rebounds, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
- Buxton added 13 points, one assist and one rebound.
- Radcliff recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one assist, going 5-for-9 from the field, 1-for-4 from three and 1-for-1 from the line.
The team concluded the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 6-19 and a Little East Conference record of 1-15.
