BENNINGTON, VT.- Senior guard Lance Spratling finished his regular season career at Southern Vermont College with a 29 point performance to lead the Mountaineers against the visiting Newbury College Nighthawks. Spratling went 10-13 from the field including 6-9 from behind the arc. The win improves the Mountaineers record to 15-10 9-5NECC while the Nighthawks drop to 10-14 8-6 NECC.
The first half of the game was an offensive battle as each team shot over 50% from the field. Newbury went 17-24 shooting a blistering 70.8% while the Mountaineers went 17-28 from the field, 60.7%. The shooting advantage for the Nighthawks gave them a 2 point advantage into the break. In the second half it was all the Mountaineers though as SVC outscored Newbury 39-26. Spratling led the way for the Mountaineers in the second half scoring 20 of his 29 points in the frame.
SVC was led by a balanced attack throughout the game as five players scored in double figures. Taeshon Johnson scored 19 points to go along with 12 from Avery Mitchell, and 10 each from Ben Naaktgeboren and Derrick Cenicola.
Newbury's Peterson Bernard scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Nighthawks with a double-double. Chris Torres and John Rowley Jr. also added double figures scoring 21 and 17 respectively for Newbury.
The Mountaineers honored both seniors Spratling and Naaktgeboren who played their final regular season home game. It wasn't their final home game of their careers though as Southern Vermont will be the number three seed in the NECC Men's Basketball playoffs. The Mountaineers will play host to the number six seed on Tuesday night at the Mountaineer Athletic Center. The Nighthawks earn the 4th seed with the loss and will host Wheelock College on Tuesday evening.