(Box Score) 

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Sophomore Nick Nedwick (Irvington, N.Y.) scored a game-high 22 points Saturday afternoon to lead the Eastern Connecticut State University past Plymouth State University, 77-61, in a Little East Conference men's basketball contest at Foley Gymnasium.

            Nedwick was good on 8-of-12 field goal attempts, including 2-of-4 from three-point range.  He led a balanced scoring attack as five Warriors scored in double figures. Eastern won its second straight game to head into the holiday break with a 7-1 overall record and a 1-1 conference mark.  PSU had its two-game win streak stopped and fell to 6-3 overall and 0-2 in the LEC.

             The Warriors also got 13 points from junior Courtney Simmons (Middletown, Conn.), followed by sophomore Jeremy Thompson (Berlin, Conn.) with 12 points off the bench, senior Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, Conn.) with 11 and sophomore Jamie Kohn (Colombia, Conn.) with 10.  Eastern shot nearly 52 percent from the field in the win.

            Senior Mike Chergey (Bow, N.H.) led the Panthers with 16 points, and classmate Eric Hondal (Miami, Fla.) added 14; they were the only two Panthers to reach double figures in scoring.  PSU shot just 38 percent from the floor and got out-rebounded by a 40-32 count.

            The Warriors led most of the first half, with PSU's only advantage a 12-11 score five minutes into the game.  Eastern outscored the Panthers 12-2 over the next five minutes to take a nine-point lead (23-14) at the midway point, and it was also a nine-point margin at halftime, 36-27.

            The visitors maintained the lead throughout the second half, but PSU kept within striking distance.  The Panthers pulled to within a bucket (51-49) with 12 minutes to go, and were within four points (58-54) with nine minutes remaining.  Eastern didn't allow Plymouth State to tie the score, and went on a 10-1 run to get the margin up to 13 points (68-55) with two minutes on the clock.  The Warriors held the home team without a field goal for over seven minutes late in the second half to seal the win.

            Both teams are off for final exams and the holidays.  PSU returns to the court on Jan. 1-2 at the Chuck Daly Memorial Classic, hosted by Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Fla., where the Panthers will play Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) in the first round.             

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