Team Records:
Eastern: 10-4 (2-3 LEC)
Castleton: 5-9 (0-5 LEC)
Series History:
- 15th meeting of all time, dating back to the 1968-69 season. The Warriors hold the all-time series lead, 11-3
- Prior to the 2018-19 season, the teams only met twice, in the 1968-69 season and the 1970-71 seasons. Both games were won by Eastern, which defeated the Spartans by a total of 58 points
- Castleton's entry into the Little East Conference in 2018 saw them consistently face the Warriors twice a season (excluding the Covid season of 2020/21). The Spartans got their first win over the Warriors in the 2019-20 season, 69-59
- In the 2024-25 season, the teams each won their away games against each other. Last January 16, Eastern earned a 75-65 win at VTSU's Glenbrook Gymnasium. A double-double from Julian Sanchez (21 points & 11 rebounds) guided the Warriors past their opponents early on. By halftime, Castleton had scored just 19 points
- In last year's February 15 meeting, Castleton came to Geissler Gymnasium and defeated the Warriors on Senior Night. Jalen Hamblin's 29 points on 8-15 shooting was not enough to power past the Spartans, who had four players who scored 13 or more points. Among the four was guard Troy Butler, a senior last year, who had 19 on the night and 25 in the first meeting of the season.
Game Notes:
- VTSU Castleton finished the 2024-25 season with a 4-20 record, going 3-13 in the conference. The Spartans did not qualify for the LEC playoffs
- Eastern finished the 2024-25 season 14-11, with a 5-10 conference record. The Warriors did not qualify for the LEC playoffs
- Eastern returns two starters and all three of its players off the bench from last year's game here vs. Castleton, which returns three starters and two bench players from that contest
- Hamblin had 22 points (12-of-14 FT), 12 rebounds and three steals when Eastern ended a three-game (LEC) skid with a 74-66 LEC road win over Plymouth State University Saturday
- The Spartans are playing their first road game today after splitting four straight home games (winning both non-conference games and losing both LEC contests) since returning from holiday break
- Castleton's Will Radcliff leads the LEC in rebounding (9.4) and is fifth in scoring (20.6)
- Eastern features three of the LEC's top seven rebounders in Sanchez (9.1), Hamblin (7.6) and Drew Soltis (7.4)
- Sanchez is ranked second in New England in FG pct. (63.0) and point guard Michael Carothers is first in New England and third nationally in assists (89) and fourth nationally in assists per game (6.4)
- The Warriors' LEC-leading rebounding margin (+10.0) is nearly twice as high as its nearest competitor
Upcoming:
The Warriors head on the road for a Little East Conference matchup against the Huskies of the University of Southern Maine in the 98
th meeting between the two Original Six members of the Little East, dating back to 1941/42. The 3 p.m. tip-off this Saturday will take place at Warren Hill Gymnasium. Prior to Saturday, the Huskies (8-6, 3-2 LEC) host UMass Dartmouth on Wednesday, a team the Warriors defeated last week. Last year, USM swept the Warriors in the home-and-home series for the second straight year. In those games, Southern Maine guard
Thomas Whelan had a combined 52 points to help the Huskies to a pair of double-digit wins. Prior to USM's four-game winning streak, Eastern had won ten of the previous 12 in the series.
