CASTLETON, Vt. – The Plymouth State University women's basketball team fell to a defensive-minded Castleton University, 80-49, in a Little East Conference (LEC) contest at Glenbrook Gymnasium on Monday evening.
PSU ran into a tough defensive Spartans team which recorded 13 steals and four blocks in the first half. Despite the loss the Panthers fought hard from end-to-end, a signature of the team this season.
Sophomore
Lauren Keller (Fort Morgan, Colo.) once again led the Panthers in scoring with 13 points, just one off her career high. Junior
Jalen Cook (Monkton, Vt.) scored 11 points of her own, while classmate
Alessia Salzillo (Saugus, Mass.) chipped in with 10 points.
The Panthers ended the game strong, once again outscoring their opponents in the fourth quarter.
Plymouth State falls to 1-15 (0-11 LEC) on the season, while Castleton goes to 1-8 and 4-6 in the LEC.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 49, Castleton 80
- Plymouth State (1-15, 0-11 LEC)
- Castleton (11-8, 4-6 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The Spartans came out fast to take a 9-0 lead through the first three minutes of play.
- Keller knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close out the first quarter to keep the Panthers within nine, 19-10.
- Castleton extended its advantage to 37-13 after scoring 13 unanswered points with 2:42 left in the second quarter.
- Plymouth State had a strong 17-point third quarter but trailed 66-33 after three.
- In typical fashion, PSU played hard to the final buzzer, edging the Spartans 16-14 in the fourth quarter.
By the Numbers:
- The Panthers set season highs for free throws made (22) and attempted (30), while shooting 73.3% from the charity stripe.
- Castleton held a 51-44 advantage on the boards, but just a 17-16 edge on the offensive glass.
- The Spartans' bench narrowly outdueled the PSU reserves by a 28-23 margin.
- Castleton now leads the head-to-head series 16-15 dating back to 1990.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State visits the University of Southern Maine on Wednesday (Feb. 9) for another LEC contest. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
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