PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University men's basketball team defeated the Salem State University Vikings, 76-54, in a non-conference match in Foley Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
 
The teams found themselves tied at halftime, 30-30, but a streak of 16 unanswered points in the run of play midway through the second half gave the Panthers an insurmountable advantage that proved too much for the Vikings to handle.
 
Sophomore Ivan Yen (Concord, N.H.) led the way with 15 points, while junior Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) recorded 13 points of his own. Senior Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.) brought home an inevitable double-double, tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort, adding three blocks, three steals and three assists, while classmate Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.)  chipped in 11 points on the afternoon.
 
Plymouth State improves to 5-0 on the season, matching its best start since the 2015-16 team won eight straight to open the year. Salem State dips to 1-5.
 
Prior to the game, Little East Conference (LEC) Commissioner Al Bean presented Tony Martinez '02 with his LEC Hall of Fame ring. Martinez, a two-time First Team All-LEC selection who amassed 1,556 career points and 626 career rebounds, led the Panthers to a 69-39 record and two LEC regular season championships and an appearance in the ECAC Division III New England Championship. 
 
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 76, Salem State 54
  • Plymouth State (5-0)
  • Salem State (1-5)

Top Performers:

• Plymouth State
  • Elijah Swanson (14 pts, 3-3 3 pt, 10 reb, 3 blk, 3 stl, 3 ast)
  • Ivan Yen (15 pts, 6-12 fg, 6 reb, 3 stl)
  • Torran Bosworth (13 pts, 5-8 fg, 3-6 3pt)
  • Kevin Henry (11 pts, 4-10 fg)

How it Happened:

• The Vikings jumped out to an early 11-3 run with 15:22 remaining in the first half.
• Plymouth State came to life, manufacturing a 17-3 run of its own to take a 20-14 lead with 8:33 to go until the half.
• In the back-and-forth, hot-and-cold first half, Salem State closed the first 20 minutes on a near-mirror run as it started, 12-3, as the teams were deadlocked at 30-30 at the halftime break.
• In true fashion, the Panthers opened the second half on a 10-2 run to regain an eight-point lead (40-32) with 16:41 left in regulation.
• Sixteen unanswered points in a three-minute stretch midway through the second half saw the Panthers up 22-points in flash, 58-36, as the Vikings has no answers for the Plymouth State prowess on either end of the court.
• The teams traded buckets to close out the half, but the margin remained as the Panthers coasted to their fifth consecutive win of the season.

By the Numbers:

• Plymouth State went 29-of-62 (46.8%) from the floor and 11-of-26 (42.3%) from three.
• PSU outrebounded the Vikings 43-32, with a 16-13 advantage on the offensive glass.
• The Panthers registered a 58.6% assist rate with 17 total assists.
• Points off turnovers were in Panthers' favor, 22-12.
• Bench points went to PSU, 17-13.
• Points in the paint were 28 for Plymouth and 18 for Salem State.
• PSU has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between the two teams.
• Plymouth State is now 14-19 in the head-to-head matchup dating back to the 1986-87 season.

Up Next:

• The Panthers will face the Raiders of Rivier University on Tuesday night (Nov. 26) in a final match before the Thanksgiving break. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Foley Gymnasium.

 
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