DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Playing for the second consecutive day, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth used a stifling defense and hot start to get past Plymouth State University, 99-36, in Little East Conference (LEC) women's basketball action at Tripp Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon.
Due to rescheduling efforts the two teams were meeting for the second time in 24 hours. Plymouth State played a strong fourth quarter in a loss to the Corsairs in Foley Gym yesterday afternoon, but UMass Dartmouth squashed any hope of the momentum carrying into Sunday with a first quarter defense that put a stranglehold on the Panthers.
Sophomore
Lauren Keller (Fort Morgan, Colo.) led the Panthers with a career-high 15 points and pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. Junior
Jalen Cook (Monkton, Vt.) chipped in with 10 points and four rebounds, while classmate
Alessia Salzillo (Saugus, Mass.) had four steals and three rebounds. Sophomore
Natalie Harris (Barrington, N.H.) was a perfect six-of-six from the free throw line.
Plymouth State slips to 1-18 (0-14 LEC) for the year, while UMass Dartmouth goes to 16-6 and 10-3 in the LEC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 36, UMass Dartmouth 99
- Plymouth State (1-18, 0-14 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (16-6, 10-3 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- Things started innocently enough as the Panthers trailed 4-1 after freshman Emma McCulloch (Old Lyme, Conn.) converted one-of-two from the charity stripe, but the hosts followed with 22 unanswered points and didn't allow a PSU field goal until Keller hit a baseline jumper in the final minute of the frame to trail 26-3 after one.
- PSU began to find some open spots in the Corsairs' defense in the second, as Keller, Cook and junior Autumn Nelson (Weare, N.H.) got to the rim and Cook buried a turnaround jumper in the key, but the hosts continued to click on the offensive side of the ball to extend the lead to 48-12 at the half.
- Plymouth State continued to find shots in the second half, putting up 24 second half points, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State went 11-of-15 from the charity stripe, highlighted by Harris' perfect six-of-six.
- The Corsairs held a 41-31 edge on the boards.
- The Panthers did get good ball movement, as the team recorded assists on 75% of its made field goals.
- UMass Dartmouth has won five straight head-to-head meetings since the Panthers upset the regular season champions, 89-87, in double overtime almost exactly three years ago.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State looks to rebound on Friday (Feb. 18) when the Panthers host Western Connecticut State University at 1:00 p.m.
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