Carlisle, Pa. - March 6, 2015 - Despite a combined 42 points from senior guards Sean Martin (Rindge, N.H.) and Josh Altman (Rockport, Mass.), the Springfield College men's basketball program fell to Albertus Magnus, 68-58, in the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Championship, hosted at Dickinson College.

With the loss, the Pride's season comes to a close with an overall record of 19-9, while the Falcons will wait to take on the winner of Regis (Mass.) and Dickinson and will play on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

This marked Springfield third-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Championship, a feat that has only ever happened once before in the program's Division III history dating back to 1996.

Springfield went 21-for-69 (30.4%) from the field in the loss, while Albertus Magnus was 25-for-56 (44.6%) on the evening.  In his final collegiate game, Martin played all 40 minutes and netted a game-high 23 points to go along with four steals, four boards, and three assists.  Altman had a terrific game offensively, pouring in 19 points in 26 minutes, including knocking down five three pointers.    Tim Swenson (Millbury, Mass.) hauled in 13 boards, including nine on the offensive glass.

The Pride's defense limited the Falcons to their lowest scoring output of the season, as the squad entered the contest averaging 95 points per game.  Four players registered double figures in the scoring coluumn, led by  the 16-point, 14-rebound effort from Victor Ljuljdjuraj, while Tavon Sledge added 16 points and seven caroms of his own.  Lemar Larsen chipped in 13 points and nine boards, and Eian Diavs tallied 11 points and seven boards.    The Falcomes outscored the Pride, 42-26, in the paint and scored 18 points of 12 Springfield turnovers.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 9-4 lead after a lay-up from Sledge at the 14:38 mark of the opening half, before a baseline floater from Davis pushed Albertus Magnus' lead to nine. Junior guard Alex Garstka (Westfield, Mass.) then converted a three-point attempt to make it a six-point game at the 12:39 mark of the first half.

Davis then made it a 17-7 game with a jumper on the baseline midway through the stanza, before back-to-back baskets from Ljuljdjuraj and Jaqhawn Walters made it 21-9 with 7:07 on the clock. Holding a 26-11 lead at the 4:02 mark after a lay-up from Ljuljdjuraj, Altman drilled a three-pointer on the ensuing possession to cut the Pride's deficit to 12 before Josh Downes (East Sandwich, Mass.) hit an open lay-up to make it a 27-16 game.

Altman then rattled off five consecutive points over 38 seconds to keep the Pride within 11, before he made it a nine-point contest with his third three-pointer of the first half to make it 35-24, Albertus Magnus, with 43 ticks on the clock. Walters then hit a lay-up with 14 seconds remaining to give the Falcons a 36-24 lead heading into the break.

Swenson and Altman combined for five points in the early minutes of the second half to make the score 40-31, Falcons, but a pair of free-throws from Sledge gave the Falcons back its 13-point lead.

With 11:56 left in the contest Altman hit a step-back triple to cut Springfield's deficit to nine, only to have Larsen hit a mid-range jumper to give the Falcon's an 11-point, 50-39 lead midway through second half.

After Marc Wilson (Jersey City, N.J.) made it a 53-39 game with a pair of free-throws, Ljuljdjuraj and Sledge hit consecutive baskets and pushed the Falcons' lead to 18 with 7:50 left in the game.

Springfield continued to fight, as an 8-0 run brought the Pride back to within 10 points, capped off by a lay-up from Martin with 3:44 remaining to make it 59-49, Albertus Magnus.

Down 62-49 after a jump shot from Davis, Martin hit a three-pointer while getting knocked to the floor, and converted the ensuing free-throw to bring the Pride back to within nine points with 9:58 left in the contest.

On the Pride's next possessoin, Martin hit another three-pointer to make it a seven-point contest, with Albertus Magnus leading 63-56 with 1:15 left. However, the Falcons would hit its free-throws down the stretch, closing out the 68-58 win.