Lawrence leads Panthers to best start in four years

            LYNDON CENTER, Vt. – Sophomore DeAsia Lawrence (Middletown, Conn.) tossed in 25 points – including 12 from beyond the three-point arc - to propel Plymouth State University to a 62-56 non-conference women's basketball victory over Lyndon State College Saturday afternoon at Stannard Gymnasium.

            With the win the Panthers improve to 3-1 while the Hornets fall to 0-2 on the season. Plymouth State is off to its best start since 2010-11.

            Sophomore Kayla Wyland (Melrose, Mass.) added nine points and seven rebounds off the bench for Plymouth and senior Tiffany Lewis (Hillsboro, N.H.) had 11 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Sophomore Savannah Miller (Smithtown, N.Y.) dished out four assists.

            Emily Gray and Aimee Thompson had 16 points each for the Hornets and Mikayla Hodge had eight points to go along with six rebounds.

            The game was close the entire way. Plymouth State held a 32-30 advantage at halftime, and both teams had opportunities in the second half. PSU held a five-point margin (42-37) after a basket by senior Taylor Perry (Simsbury, Conn.) with 13 minutes to play.

            The Hornets played tough, and came back to take a 56-55 lead with less than three minutes on the clock. PSU pulled the game out down stretch when Miller made six of eight big free throws and Wyland grabbed two key offensive rebounds.

            Lyndon returns to action Sunday when it travels to Bennington to face Southern Vermont College. PSU is in action again Tuesday when it travels to Castleton State College for a non-conference affair.

(With contributions from Lyndon State Sports Information)

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