The Spartan men’s basketball team was stopped in the first round of the North Atlantic Conference tournament on Feb. 21. The men lost to eventual champion and top-seeded Elms College 87-69. Rich Reilly led the team with 20 points and earned second-team all conference award for the season. Brian Bradley, who chipped in 14 points, received honorable mention for the season.

The Spartans finished with a 13-13 record and were 7-8 in the NAC.

Coach Ted Shipley applauded his team for its hard work and the dedication players displayed all year on their way to a fifth place finish in the conference.

“We became a very good team. At times we could have been better, but we played at our maximum level every night and that’s hard to do,” Shipley said.

With only one departing senior, Michael Cooper, and another with eligibility issues, Brian Bradley, the team isn’t losing a lot of bodies for the 2006 season. Coach Shipley hopes his team will work hard in the off season on strength training and player development.

“I heard this quote once and I think it is very true. Someone once said ‘players are made from March to October, not October to March,'” Shipley said.

Women fall in NAC semifinals

The women’s basketball team ended its season Feb. 24 at the hands of top-seeded Maine Maritime 60-41.

The Spartans got down early in the contest, but battled their way back with a 14-0 run. They eventually ran out of steam, however, and the Lady Mariners ran away with it in the second half. Mary Neinow led the team with 15 points while Jenn Whiting, who was named second-team all conference, chipped in 10 points.

The lady Spartans finished the season with a 17-10 record and 13-5 in the NAC.

“We achieved (our goals),” Coach Tim Barrett said. “We lost to a team that eventually got an at-large bid to the division three national tournament.”

With only one graduating senior, Betsy O’Rourke, Barrett can also look for a solid season in 2006.

With no official spring workouts allowed by the NCAA, Barrett hopes that his team will continue to work out both physically and skill wise as a team.

“They have to get better. By Oct. 15, they should be better players,” Barrett said.