Ricard posts double-double in loss 

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Alex Ricard (Manchester, N.H.) recorded her first career double-double but Western Connecticut State University nailed seven three-pointers in the third quarter to run past Plymouth State University, 69-52, in a Little East Conference (LEC) women's basketball game at Foley Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

            Ricard scored a career-high ten points and added ten boards and PSU held a 31-29 lead at the half, but WestConn came out of the locker room on fire. The visitors went 7-of-14 from long range in the game-changing quarter to go ahead, 57-42, at the end of the third and Plymouth State was unable to rally in the fourth.

            Plymouth State fall to 4-15 and 0-10 in the LEC, while the Colonials improve to 7-13 and 2-9 in league play.

            The Basics:

            Plymouth State 52, WestConn 69

            Plymouth State (4-15, 0-10 LEC)

            WestConn (7-13, 2-9 LEC)

            How it Happened.

• Freshman Autumn Nelson (Weare, N.H.) drilled a three-pointer from the left corner to give PSU a 7-5 lead after the first 2:30, but the Colonials followed with a 9-2 run sparked by four points from senior Gabrielle Hurlbert (Thomaston, Conn.) to pull ahead, 14-9, with 3:22 to play in the quarter.
• Freshman Bella Earle (South Hadley, Mass.) scored on consecutive possessions to trim the margin to one, but sophomore Samantha Garcia (Highland, N.Y.) hit from long range for visitors.
• Plymouth State got inside on its final two possessions as the game went into the second quarter tied at 17-17.
• The teams traded baskets over the first two minutes, with Hurlbert's three giving WestConn a 22-21 lead.
• Nelson hit one-of-two from the line to put the Panthers back in front with three minutes left in the half and Ricard hit a midrange jumper to extend the lead to 29-24, but Garcia drilled a straight-on three and a layup squared things at 29-29 with less than a minute to go.
• Freshman Jalen Cook's (Monkton, Vt.) layup gave the hosts a two-point lead at the half.
• WestConn came out of the locker room on fire, using a 22-3 spurt over the next five minutes to jump ahead, 51-34. The visitors drained five three-pointers in the spurt, including two apiece from freshman Susana Almeida (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Hannah Maghini (Bristol, Conn.).
• The teams traded points from there until senior Chenysse Hill (Lynn, Mass.) drained a 38-footer as the buzzer expired to make it a 57-42 game heading into the final ten minutes.
• WestConn extended the hot outside shooting to start the fourth and the Panthers were unable to get any closer the rest of the way.

            Inside the Numbers:

• Ricard's ten points were a career high, while she finished two rebounds short of a career best in rebounds.
• Cook led the Panthers with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added five rebounds and four assists, while Hill chipped in with seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.
• Garcia and Maghini finished with 14 points apiece, with each draining four triples. Almeida added 12 points on 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, while sophomore Katelyn Fanning (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) pulled down a team-best ten rebounds.
• Plymouth State outscored the Colonials by a 32-16 margin in the paint and held a 44-34 advantage on the boards, but WestConn went 14-of-43 (32.6%) from downtown.

            Up Next:

• Both teams remain in conference action on Wednesday (Feb. 5). PSU heads to Keene State for a rivalry game, while the Colonials host UMass Boston. Both games tip-off at 5:30 p.m.

– 30 –