PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University men's basketball team fell to Rhode Island College, 98-84, in Little East Conference (LEC) action at the Murray Center on Saturday afternoon.
Despite having five Panthers score in double digits, a second half surge by the Anchormen gave RIC all that was needed to come away with the home victory.
Sophomore
Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.) led the Panthers with 17 points, while freshman
Yansel Reyes (Manchester, N.H.) scored 16 of his own. Junior
Giorgi Tsiklauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and seniors
Dante Rivera (Lawrence, Mass.) and
Devin Cooper (Newfield, N.Y.) also reached double digit scoring in the losing effort.
Plymouth State (14-11, 9-7 LEC) already had the fourth seed and a home playoff game locked up prior to tip off. PSU will host fifth-seeded Western Connecticut State University in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday (Feb. 22) at 6:00 p.m. RIC ends the regular season with a 14-11 overall record (7-9 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 84, Rhode Island College 98
- Plymouth State (14-11, 9-7 LEC)
- Rhode Island College (14-11, 7-9 LEC)
Top Performers:
- Kevin Henry (17 pts, 5 reb, 7-10 fg)
- Yansel Reyes (16 pts, 4 reb, 6-10 fg, 4-8 3pt, 3 stl)
- Giorgi Tsiklauri (14 pts, 5 reb, 3-6 3pt)
- Dante Rivera (12 pts, 4-9 3pt, 6 ast)
- Devin Cooper (11 pts, 5-8 fg)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers opened play on an 8-2 run over the first two minutes of action.
- PSU extended the advantage to 27-17 with 10:54 on the clock in the first half.
- RIC worked its way back to tie the game, 35-35, with 5:58 left until halftime.
- Using an 11-2 run, the Anchormen took a 43-37 lead with 1:46 in the half.
- RIC maintained a narrow 47-43 edge as the first half concluded.
- The Panthers retied the game at 51-51 in the early minutes of the second half.
- RIC responded with a 13-2 run to go up 64-53 at the 12:36 mark.
- The Panthers got within three, 74-71, with 6:17 remaining, but could not get past the Anchormen in the end.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State shot 33-of-68 (48.5%) from the floor and 12-of-26 (46.2%) from three.
- Both teams pulled down 35 rebounds and 13 on the offensive side.
- The Anchormen got to the line 32 times, while Plymouth State shot just eight free throws.
- PSU had 25 assists on its 33 made field goals, while the Panthers' reserves outscored their counterparts by a 37-16 margin.
- The teams split the regular season battle with each side winning on its home court.
Up Next:
- Fourth-seeded Plymouth State hosts fifth-seeded WestConn in LEC Tournament quarterfinal action on Tuesday (Feb. 22) at 6:00 p.m.
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