Castleton, Vt. – The Castleton offense kept pace with Skidmore in the first half, but couldn't match the Thoroughbreds in the second half as the Spartans fell 89-74 in their season-opener at Glenbrook Gym on Tuesday evening. 

Even at 40 at the break, Skidmore scored 49 second-half points and shot 45.2 percent from the field as the team improved to 2-1 on the year. Castleton, meanwhile, shot just 31.6 percent from the floor in the contest, and 18.5 percent from downtown as the Spartans dropped to 0-1 on the season. 

The Thoroughbreds committed just three turnovers in the second half while dishing out 13 assists to pull away. They finished the game with 20 assists, with eight coming from sophomore Aldin Medunjanin. Medunjanin added 16 points and six rebounds to lead five players in double figures. Perun Kovacevic was a force down low with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Erik Sanders chipped in with 15 points, ten rebounds, five assists and two blocks. 

Castleton also had five players in double figures, led by newcomer Steve Rosemond, who poured in 15. He added 14 rebounds, including five offensive, to lead the team. Sophomore Chad Copeland also recorded a double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds while Tyler Ackley finished with 12 points, six assists and one steal. Logan White and Carnelius Green each chipped in with 12 points. 

Skidmore jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the opening five minutes, and then pushed its lead to 16-5 on a Kovacevic layup with 14:13 left in the half. The Spartans locked down on defense and a quick 5-0 run made it 16-10 less than minute later. However, eight consecutive points by the Thoroughbreds extended their lead to 24-10 midway through the half. 

Alex Homkey ended the run with a layup at 9:36 and Copeland and White combined for seven points to close the gap to five, 24-19 with 7:24 remaining. A minute and half later, a old-fashioned three-point play by Rosemond cut the lead to 27-24 and the Spartans eventually tied it up at 30 apiece on a Green layup at 3:58. The two teams traded buckets over the final four minutes and a three by Rosemond clanked off the rim with two seconds left to leave it even 40-40 at the break. 

Skidmore opened the second half on a 16-4 run over the first 6:57, until a personal 4-0 run by Rosemond brought Castleton within eight, 56-48 at 12:16. Three minutes later the Spartans cut it to eight again, but that would be as close as they would get the rest of the game. The Thoroughbreds used patient passing to beat the Spartan zone and slowly extend their lead, which climbed as high as 17, before finishing with the 15-point victory over Castleton. 

The Spartans finished with a 54-48 advantage on the boards and pulled down an impressive 23 offensive rebounds, leading to 18 second-chance points. They also matched Skidmore with 38 points in the paint. 

Castleton returns to action on Saturday when the team hosts ninth-ranked WPI at 3 pm in Glenbrook Gym.