WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior guard Lance Spratling (Pittsfield/Taconic) led a balanced attack with 19 points, five assists and five steals and junior guard Taeshon Johnson (Charlotte, NC) added 18 points, 11 rebounds and four steals to power Southern Vermont College to an 80-62 non-conference men's basketball victory over Westfield State University on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Southern Vermont – which set an NCAA Division III record by losing to Skidmore in seven overtimes in its last game Nov. 23 – upped its record to 4-2. Westfield is 2-2 after dropping its home opener.

Southern Vermont used a potent inside attack, scoring on a variety of playground moves in pulling away from Westfield in the second half. Just over half (42) of its points were scored in the paint.

The Moutaineers went on an early 12-0 run to take a 20-8 lead and led by as many as 15 points, 29-14, in the first half. Westfield regrouped to trail at halftime, 41-34.

Southern Vermont jumped out to an 11-point lead at the outset of the second half, but Owl guard Lee Vazquez (Attleboro) buried two 3-point baskets to cut the lead to five, 45-40.

The Mountaineers called a timeout then went on a quick 10-2 run for a 55-42 lead with 15:03 remaining, and even a rare four-point play (3-point basket and free throw) by Westfield senior forward Chris Jurkowski (Belchertown) only pulled Westfield with nine, 55-46.

Southern Vermont then boosted its fast break game into high gear, outscoring Westfield 15-5 over the next seven minutes for a commanding 70-51 lead with 7:10 remaining.

Also scoring in double figures for the winners were Deshawn Hamlet (Hartford, CT) with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Derrick Cenicola (Hamilton, NY) with 11 points and three steals. In two key statistics, the Mountaineers committed only 11 turnovers and registered 15 steals.

Vazquez and Jurkowski led Westfield's balanced scoring with 14 points apiece. Sophomore center Matt Devine (Pembroke) had 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Junior forward Marcellus Lee (Quincy) came off the bench to score 10 points.

Westfield shot 8 for 20 from 3-point range but only made 33 percent of its field goal attempts. The Owls also committed 21 turnovers.