(Box
Score)
PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Junior Amanda
Kania (Manchester, N.H./West) and sophomore Alicia
Doucet (Manchester, N.H./Central) combined for 44 points
and 21 rebounds Saturday afternoon to lead the Plymouth State
University women's basketball team to a dramatic 74-72 overtime
victory over Rhode Island College in Little East Conference action
at Foley Gymnasium.
Kania and Doucet also hit key baskets each late in the game to help
the Panthers pull out the key LEC decision. Kania, who scored
a game-high 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for her third
double-double of the season, drained a huge three-pointer from the
corner to deadlock the score at 66-all with 10 seconds to play in
regulation, forcing the extra session. Doucet, who
contributed 20 points and nine boards, including six off the
offensive glass, converted a running lay-up with less than a second
remaining in the overtime session to clinch the victory.
The Anchorwomen got strong performances from senior Denise Scott
(Yonkers, N.Y.) and sophomore Stephanie Coro (North Providence,
R.I.), who scored 19 and 18 points, respectively. Freshman Courtney
Burns (Rockland, Mass.) chipped in with 13 points, and sophomore
Rachel Riley (Coventry, R.I.) contributed nine points and a
team-high 11 rebounds.
The outcome gives the Panthers their third straight victory and
improves them to 13-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while RIC
dropped its third in a row and fell to 9-6 overall and 1-4 in
Little East games.
PSU maintained control most of the first half, leading by one
(16-15) point at the midway point before pulling away to a 14-point
margin (34-20) with two minutes to play. RIC made some free
throws to get to within 11 at the intermission (34-23).
The Anchorwomen rallied with an 18-5 run early in the second half
to take the lead, 45-44, with just over 10 minutes on the
clock. Scott hit three baskets in less than two minutes for
RIC as the Anchorwomen built up an eight-point advantage, 66-58,
with three minutes to play. But this time PSU rallied,
keeping RIC scoreless for the final three minutes of regulation
while Kania rattled off eight unanswered points, the last three on
that key bucket with 10 seconds on the clock, sending the game to
overtime.
The score stayed close throughout the extra period. PSU had a
three-point lead with 20 seconds left, but Coro connected on a big
game-tying three-pointer for RIC with 12 seconds to play.
That set up Doucet's game-winner for the home team.
Both teams continue with LEC action on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., PSU
traveling to the University of Southern Maine and RIC visiting
Western Connecticut State University.
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