CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On a night that saw a Lesley University basketball host it's largest crowd ever, the men's basketball team did not disappoint as they defeated Castleton State College 75-69 to improve their record to 5-10 (3-2 North Atlantic Conference). With the loss, Castleton State dropped to 9-7 (2-3 NAC).
After a slow first half, Lynx senior Joe Chatman (Boston, Mass.) stepped it up in the second half to score a game-high 26 points. Chatman was solid from the field, hitting 8-of-13 shots. He also hit all nine of his free throw attempts, including four in the game's final minute to seal the victory for the Lynx.
Lesley's two big men, Jesus Trejo (Methuen, Mass.) and Malcolm Andrews (Medford, Mass.) complemented Chatman's effort with double-doubles. Trejo had 18 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals while Andrews finished with 10 points, 13 boards, three assists, two blocks, and two steals.
The Spartans had three double-digit scorers as Josh Howe (Randolph, Vt.) netted 25 points and teammates Joey Farley (Fairlee, Vt.) and Alden Gregory (Corinth, Me.) scored 20 and 11 points, respectively. Before fouling out in the second half, Richard Reilly (Manassas, Va.) had a solid game as he dished out six assists for the Spartan offense.
The two teams exchanged leads a few times early in the first half, but with 10 minutes remaining in the period, Castleton State took the lead for good. Heading into the locker room at halftime, the Spartans held a 39-30 advantage.
In the second half, the Lynx went on an 18-5 run to take a 57-54 lead over the Spartans with 10:15 remaining in the game. With just two minutes left and the game tied at 69-69, Castleton State's Howe fouled Lesley sophomore Matt Grassa (Everett, Mass.) to foul out and put Grassa on the line. The guard hit one of his free throws to take the lead and the Lynx never looked back.
Lesley's next opponent will be Johnson State College on Saturday afternoon while Castleton State will travel to Wheelock College on the same day.
To learn more about the Lesley University men's basketball team, please visit their website.