PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Sophomores Bryan Tracy (Manchester, N.H./Central) and Mike Chergey (Bow, N.H.) each posted double-doubles Tuesday evening to lead Plymouth State University to an 81-74 non-conference men's basketball victory over Castleton State College in the home opener at Foley Gymnasium.

              Tracy finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers, while Chergey added 11 points and 11 boards.  Junior Ben Huntington (Hampstead, N.H.) led the team with 17 points as the Panthers improved to 2-1 on the season.

              Castleton State got a pair of double-doubles as well, as senior Chris Young (Narragansett, R.I.) contributed 17 points (of 7-of-11 shooting) and 10 boards and junior Josh Howe (Randolph, Vt.) added 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Senior Joey Farley (Fairlee, Vt.) was the game's high scorer with 19 points for the visitors, who dipped to 1-2.

              Plymouth State went on a 15-4 run early in the first half to take a 10-point lead (23-13).  The Panthers maintained the advantage the next 10 minutes, but the Spartans battled back and regained the lead (36-35) with five minutes to go in the half.  CSC got the lead as high as six points (44-38) but settled for a 44-43 lead at the intermission.

              There were four lead changes in the first nine minutes of the second half, with neither team leading by more than five points.  Plymouth State took the lead for good on 10 unanswered points by Huntington, including a pair of three-pointers, and had its largest lead of the second half (76-66) with just over three minutes to play.  The Spartans got to within two points (76-74) with a minute to go after consecutive threes from Howe, but didn't score again and PSU held on for the win.

              Sophomore Jason O'Keefe (Everett, Mass.) and freshman Ian Dempsey (Andover, Mass.) also contributed double figures in scoring for the Panthers with 12 and 11 points, respectively.  Senior Richard Reilly (Manassas, Va.) added 11 points for the Spartans.

              Plymouth State will be back in action next Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the annual Jacob's Bridge Through Autism Classic at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.  PSU will face New England College in the first game at 5:30 p.m., with Keene State College meeting Colby-Sawyer College in the second game at 7:30 p.m.

              Castleton State also returns to the court next Tuesday, visiting Middlebury College (7:30 p.m.)

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