BANGOR, Maine - The Spartans couldn't struggled from the field in the first 20 minutes as Husson grabbed a 23-point advantage and held on for the 96-78 victory on Saturday afternoon in Newman Gymnasium.
Castleton shot just 29.3 percent from the field and 5-for-30 from downtown in the decisive first half while the Eagles converted 58.3 percent of their shots on the way to a 58-35 lead at the break. The Spartans outscored Husson by five points in the second half, 43-38, but still saw their six-game win streak come to an end.
With the loss, Castleton falls to 13-8 overall and 12-2 in the North Atlantic Conference. The team also moves into a first place tie with the University of Maine at Farmington atop the standings. Husson, meanwhile, improves to 10-10 on the season and 9-4 in the NAC.
Only two players reached double figures for the visitors, in sophomore Matt Cooney (Washingtonville, N.Y.) and junior Logan White (Hartford, Vt.). Cooney had 12 points and four rebounds while White added 11 points with nine come from behind the arc. Junior Dammy Mustapha (Bellows Falls, Vt.) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and added six points for the Spartans who were out-rebounded 52-38.
Husson had four players in double figures, led by Luis Medina (Hartford, Conn.) and Marc Zaharachuk (Richmond, Maine). Medina went off for 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Zaharachuk was a load inside with 16 points and 16 boards.
The two teams went back and forth through the game's first nine minutes. However, leading 23-22, the Eagles went on an 18-2 run to break open the contest and take a 41-24 lead with 5:08 remaining in the first half. The Spartans were outscored 17-9 over the final five minutes of the half to trail by 23 at the break.
The Spartans attempted to come back in the second half and got the lead as low as 15 on a layup by Chris Barletta (Hazleton, Pa.) with 9:08 left. Unfortunately, they wouldn't get any closer and Husson pushed the lead as high as 25 before finishing with the 18-point victory.
Castleton returns to action on Saturday when the team hosts Green Mountain at 3 p.m.