Dempsey with game-high scoring for Panthers

              BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Ian Dempsey netted a game-high 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting Saturday afternoon, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, to lead the Plymouth State University men's basketball team past the University of Massachusetts Boston, 73-41, in Little East Conference action at the Clark Athletic Center.

              PSU overcame a strong Beacon start to take a 19-point lead at halftime and coasted home in the second half.  The Panthers move back to the .500 mark at 11-11 overall, 5-7 in LEC play, while the Beacons drop their fifth straight contest to fall to 8-15 and 2-10.

              The Beacons came out of the gates on fire, connecting on their first three shots from the field including back-to-back three-point field goals from junior guards Michael Mitchell and Isaac Jenkins, to help the home squad jump out to an early 8-2 lead. The Panthers responded with a 13-0 run over the next six minutes, fueled by eight points from Dempsey, to take a 15-11 lead. Plymouth State would continue to expand its lead with sharp shooting, connecting on 54 percent (13-of-24) to open up a 37-18 halftime margin.

              UMass Boston was unable to get any closer in the second half as Plymouth State continued to shoot exceptionally well from the field, converting 12-of-24 attempts in the second half to shoot 54.2 percent for the game.

              The PSU bench was very effective, outscoring the Beacons subs, 37-11. Junior Brian Chergey led the bench scoring with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and also collected a game-high 10 rebounds for the double-double.

              Mitchell finished the afternoon with a team-high 11 points for UMB while also grabbing six rebounds.

              Both teams return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 15 in LEC play; the Beacons travel to the University of Southern Maine while the Panthers host Keene State College. 

 (Courtesy of UMass Boston Sports Information) 

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