Box Score Arsenault scores 1,000th career point in season-opening win
CONCORD, N.H. – Seniors Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, N.H.), Ernie Johnson (Springfield, Mass.) and Jack Preston (Nashua, N.H.) scored 14 points apiece as Plymouth State University defeated Rivier University, 84-60, in men's basketball action Tuesday night at the New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI). Arsenault drilled a three-pointer off a kick-out from senior Nathan Clarke (Reading, Mass.) early in the first half to become the 28th player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark.
The Panthers started to pull away late in the first half and a triple just before the buzzer from junior Collin Sullivan (Plymouth, N.H.) put PSU in front 43-32 at the break. Plymouth State maintained control throughout the second half to win the Boys & Girls Club Classic match-up with Rivier for the fourth straight season.
THE BASICS
Dr. Goldie Crocker Wellness Center, NHTI, Concord, N.H. – Tues., Nov. 15, 2016
Plymouth State 84, Rivier 60
Records:
Plymouth State 1-0; Rivier 0-1
PSU LEADERS
* Arsenault … 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, three blocks
* Johnson … 14 points (7-of-12), six rebounds, two assists
* Preston … 14 points, team-high nine rebounds
* Freshman Jaylen Leroy (Manchester, N.H.) … 13 points (5-of-7), three rebounds
* Clarke … seven assists, four rebounds
BY THE NUMBERS
* Plymouth State connected on 33-of-69 from the floor (47.8%), while holding the Raiders to 21-of-61 (34.4%) shooting.
* PSU controlled the interior, outrebounding Rivier 47-28 and holding a 40-20 advantage on points in the paint.
* The Panther bench accounted for more than half the team's points, erupting for 45 points to Rivier's 20.
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| Arsenault with Head Coach Andrew Novick |
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HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half:
* Arsenault wasted little time in reaching the career milestone. After freshman Tristian Givens (Windsor, Conn.) gave Rivier a 3-0 lead with a three-pointer, Arsenault responded with a triple of his own off a feed from Clarke to tie the game and give the senior 1,001 career points.
* The two teams went back and forth through the early stages of the opening half. Leroy's first career points came from long range to put PSU up 21-20 with 7:39 remaining in the first half.
* A pair of free throws from Rivier senior Kevin Francis (Cromwell, Conn.) brought the Raiders to within 34-30 with 2:24 to play in the half.
* PSU answered with a 9-2 run, including Sullivan's long ball, to take a 43-32 lead into the break.
Second Half:
* The Panthers maintained an 11-point advantage through the first six minutes of the second half, before a Leroy layup sparked an 8-0 PSU run.
* Leroy added a jumper during the spurt, with Johnson and junior Max Coleman (Londonderry, N.H.) each scoring as well.
* Leroy had a strong second half, scoring eight points in just 10 minutes on 3-of-5 shooting.
* A layup from Arsenault pushed the lead to 21 points, 69-48, with 7:32 to play.
* Freshman Nathan Hale (Nashua, N.H.) scored his first career points off a jumper to give the Panthers a 77-52 lead with 2:27 remaining.
* Hale added another bucket with just under a minute remaining to give PSU its largest lead, 84-58, before a Rivier layup wrapped up the scoring.
NEXT UP
Plymouth State vs. Norwich University, Plymouth, N.H. – Thurs., Nov. 17 (7:00 p.m.)
Rivier vs. Unity College, Nashua, N.H. – Fri., Nov. 18 (6:00 p.m.)
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