Clutch free throw shooting, balanced attack leads Panthers to win

            JOHNSON, Vt. – Clutch free throw shooting down the stretch helped lead Plymouth State University to a 60-51 victory over Johnson State College in women's basketball action Tuesday night.

            Junior Taylor Perry (Simsbury, Conn.) connected on five-of-six attempts from the charity stripe over the final two minutes helping to ice the win for the Panthers.  Perry's game-high 12 points were matched by sophomore Ace Lawrence (Middletown, Conn.).  Lawrence also pulled down seven rebounds in the victory.

            Senior Tiffany Lewis (Hillsboro, N.H.) was a perfect eight-of-eight from the line on the way to 10 points and three rebounds, while classmate Kelley Collins (Groveton, N.H.) added nine points and six rebounds.  Sophomore Lindsy Poulin (Goffstown, N.H.) contributed seven points and six rebounds in just 12 minutes off the bench.

            Johnson State got 12 points from sophomore Sarah Voorhis (Nashua, N.H.), while classmate Domonique Carter-Stanley (Norwalk, Conn.) added 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and two blocks in the losing effort. 

            The two teams were close through the opening minutes.  A jumper by Lewis gave PSU a 7-6 lead after eight minutes of play.  After a Johnson State layup, the Panthers pulled away with a 15-6 run sparked by a Poulin three-pointer and capped off by two triples from Lawrence, setting up Plymouth's largest lead of the game (22-12).  Johnson State responded with a 15-9 run, aided by a Carter-Stanley layup at the buzzer, to close the gap to 31-27 at the half.

            The Badgers were able to get within one in the opening minutes of the second half, but Plymouth State would not relinquish the lead.  Baskets by Poulin, sophomore Madison Beatrice (Newton, Mass.) and Collins pushed the Panther lead back to seven, 41-34, with nine minutes to play.  A pair of Voorhis free throws cut the PSU lead to 43-41, but Plymouth iced the game by connecting on 13-of-17 free throw attempts over the final seven minutes.  Plymouth State outscored the Badgers 21-6 from the line for the game.

           Plymouth State (5-5) returns home Thursday afternoon, when it hosts Fisher College in a 2:00 p.m. game, before a string of seven straight Little East Conference games.  Johnson State (3-7) looks to rebound on Saturday when it plays host to in-state rival, Lyndon State, in a North Atlantic Conference match-up.

-- 30 --