(Box Score) 

            FARMINGTON, Maine - Plymouth State University ran out to an early lead and held off the University of Maine at Farmington Thursday afternoon for a 76-59 non-conference men's basketball victory at Dearborn Gymnasium.

            The Beavers remained winless at 0-7 and are slated to visit Bowdoin College Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest, while the Panthers upped their record to 7-5 with Western Connecticut at home Saturday at 3 p.m.

            Junior Ryan Lambert (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) netted 16 points off the bench to lead the Panthers with senior Jason O'Keefe (Everett, Mass.) providing 11 points and nine boards and Tom Dowd (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Bryan Tracy (Manchester, N.H./Central) each chipping in 10 points.

            Eric Taylor (Oakland, Maine) led the Beavers with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Andrew Dean (Gorham, Maine), Ethan Jean (Jackson, Maine) and Kevin Leary (Manchester, Maine) each added eight points.

            The Panthers jumped out to a 16-4 advantage over the opening 7:41 of the game with Tracy knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and scoring eight points during the stretch. The visitors led by as many as 18 points during the first half before heading to intermission with a 44-31 lead.  Plymouth State hit 8-of-16 three-pointers during the opening frame, with Tracy, Lambert and Eric Hondal (Miami, Fla.) each hitting a pair.

            The Beavers chiseled away at the deficit in the first 10 minutes of the second half with a Roy Burdin (Guilford, Maine) tip-in with 10:30 remaining in the game trimming the lead to 53-46.  PSU held a 57-48 lead before marching on a 12-0 run to put the contest away with a 69-48 command with 4:50 to play. Lambert scored eight points during the run in leading the Panthers to the 76-59 win.

(Courtesy of UMaine Farmington Sports Information)

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