SALEM, Mass. – Graduate student
Giorgi Tsiklauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) dropped a game-high 20 points but Salem State University scored the go-ahead bucket with 20.8 seconds remaining to sneak past Plymouth State University, 64-63, in non-conference men's basketball action at Twohig Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Plymouth State had snapped a 59-59 tie on a pair of free throws from sophomore
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) with two minutes to play and Tsiklauri's turnaround jumper in heavy traffic made it 63-59 with just over a minute to play. The Vikings hit from beyond the arc on their next possession to make it a one-point game and Salem State got a stop on the defensive end. The hosts got to the rim for the go-ahead layup with 20.8 seconds on the clock and PSU called timeout with 5.4 left to play. Plymouth State got a good look at a potential game-winner, but a fadeaway jumper from the foul line rimmed out.
Plymouth State ends the fall semester with a 4-7 mark, while Salem State moves to 6-5.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 63, Salem State 64
- Plymouth State (4-7)
- Salem State (6-5)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The first half featured back-and-forth action, with neither team able to pull away. Junior Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton, N.H.) put the Panthers ahead, 9-8, with 13:46 left in the half.
- Senior Kyler Bosse (Manchester, N.H.) and Tsiklauri hit from long range to extend the lead to 20-15 and moments later freshman Eli Pockette (Rutland, Vt.) nailed a triple to give PSU its largest lead of the half, 23-17.
- The Vikings stormed back, using back-to-back threes to ignite a 15-6 run, as the hosts took a narrow 32-29 edge into the locker room.
- PSU pulled even several times to start the second half and an offensive rebound and putback by senior Christian Barr (Henniker, N.H.) gave the Panthers a 41-39 lead 4:18 into the half.
- The lead traded hands over the next few minutes, with a Vikings' jumper knotting the game at 48-48 with 12:28 remaining.
- Newton-Delgado hit a pair from the charity stripe and Tsiklauri and Barr combined for the game's next nine points with Tsiklauri hitting from deep for a 59-48 lead with 5:33 on the clock.
- Salem State used an 11-0 surge over the next 3:29 to pull even at 59-59 with 2:04 to play, setting up the exciting finish.
By the Numbers:
- Tsiklauri finished 8-of-17 from the floor for a season-high 20 points. He nailed 4-of-9 from distance and added four rebounds, four assists and two steals to his stat line.
- Barr posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 5-of-9 from the floor.
- Bosse notched 15 points in 15 minutes of action, hitting 6-of-14 and 2-of-4 from distance.
- PSU shot 39.3% from the field and went 8-for-23 (34.8%) from distance, while the Vikings were an identical 41.7% from the field and behind the arc.
- Plymouth State held a 9-6 edge in second chance points and a 26-20 advantage in points in the paint.
- The two teams each pulled down 38 rebounds.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State returns to action with a home clash against Norwich on Jan. 3. Opening tip is set for 4:00 p.m.
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