(Box Score) 

              PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Senior Jason O'Keefe (Everett, Mass.) scored a game-high 21 points Tuesday evening as Plymouth State University's men's basketball team defeated Castleton State College, 76-59, in a non-conference encounter at Foley Gymnasium.

              O'Keefe, who made 8-of-15 shots from the field, including 3-of-7 from three-point range, was one of five Panthers to reach double figures in the scoring department.  Senior Mike Chergey (Bow, N.H.) and junior Tom Dowd (Portsmouth, N.H.) tallied 14 points each, and senior Eric Hondal (Miami, Fla./Piper) and junior Ryan Lambert (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) chipped in with 10 points apiece.  Hondal also contributed seven assists, and O'Keefe made five steals.

              Sophomore Jared Paul (Tampa, Fla.) was the top scorer for the Spartans with 13 points, 10 coming from at the free throw line, while classmate Derrick Faragon (Schenectady, N.Y.) was good for 12 points and a team-high seven boards.

              Plymouth State shot 50 percent from the field in the game (28-of-56), held the Spartans to a 40 percent shooting clip, and had a slight 34-30 margin on the boards.

              Castleton held a small lead for much of the first half, but PSU came back and took a 35-34 advantage into the locker room.  O'Keefe had 12 first-half points for the Panthers and Paul countered with 11 for the Spartans.

              PSU opened the second half with a 14-2 spurt to open up a 13-point lead with 16 minutes remaining.  Castleton hung around, and got the margin down to seven points (55-48) with seven minutes on the clock, but O'Keefe hit a pair of buckets, including one from beyond the arc, to get the lead back up to 12 points.  The Spartans didn't get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

              Plymouth State continues its six-game home stand on Thursday, Dec. 3, hosting Salem State College at 7:30 p.m. Castleton plays a non-conference game next Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Middlebury (7:30 p.m.)

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