PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Kyler Bosse (Manchester, N.H.) scored his 1,000th career point and sophomore
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) dropped a career-high 20 points, but #5 Keene State College used a big second half to top Plymouth State University, 83-58, in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's basketball game at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
Plymouth State came out quickly with Bosworth's three-pointer giving the hosts an 11-2 lead through the first four minutes. PSU maintained the lead and Bosse sank a turnaround floater in the paint to make history with 7:25 left in the opening half for a 30-22 advantage. Keene State scored the final four points of the half to cut into the margin, though the Panthers still held the lead, 37-34, as the teams went to the locker room.
The visitors used a 19-4 run over the first 5:27 of the second half to surge into the lead. The Panthers trailed by seven, 60-53, with ten minutes to play but Keene State ended on a 23-5 spurt to close out the game.
Bosse becomes the 35th player to reach the milestone in a Plymouth State jersey.
Plymouth State dips to 4-5 (0-2 LEC), while Keene State, ranked fifth in the latest D3hoops.com national poll, improves to 8-1 (2-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 58, #5 Keene State 83
- Plymouth State (4-5, 0-2 LEC)
- Keene State (8-1, 2-0 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- Plymouth State came out hot with junior Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.) and Bosworth connecting from deep for an early 11-2 lead.
- The two continued to shoot well in the early going with Bosworth getting to the basket for a 20-13 advantage with 12:43 on the clock.
- Bosworth followed with threes on consecutive possessions as PSU maintained its edge. Bosse made history when his turnaround jumper with 7:25 left in the half made it 30-22.
- Graduate student Giorgi Tsiklauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) laid it in for a 37-30 lead with 1:24 left, but the Owls closed with the final four points of the half to pull within 37-34 at the break.
- Keene State clamped down on defense to open the second half on a 19-4 run to jump in front, 53-41.
- Bosse sank a pair from the free throw line to cut the deficit to six, 57-51, with 11:09 remaining but that was as close as the Panthers would get.
By the Numbers:
- Bosworth was 4-of-5 from distance in the first half and had 14 points heading into the break.
- Bosworth and Swanson combined to shoot 9-of-15 over the opening 20 minutes, teaming up for 24 of the Panthers' 37 points.
- Senior Christian Barr (Henniker, N.H.) pulled down ten boards in the first half and finished with a career-high 13 for the game.
- Plymouth State held a 45-35 advantage on the boards.
- The Panthers shot 30.9% (21-of-68) from the floor, but Keene State connected at an even 50% for the game.
- PSU held a 9-8 edge in second chance points.
Up Next:
- PSU heads to UMass Dartmouth for another league game on Saturday (Dec. 9). Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
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