PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.) scored a team-high 16 points as Plymouth State University delivered a dominant 90-64 win over Vermont State University Castleton in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's basketball contest at Foley Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
 
Led by a balanced scoring attack, the Panthers outpaced VTSU Castleton from the opening tip. A 13-3 scoring run midway through the first half gave Plymouth State a commanding 40-26 halftime lead, and PSU never took its foot off the gas pedal. The Panthers continued to build the advantage, using a 17-3 surge in the second half to put the game out of reach.
 
Henry led a quartet of Panthers in double figures, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Ivan Yen (Concord, N.H.) contributed 14 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while classmate Jayden Montgomery (Nashua, N.H.) added 13 points and six boards. Senior Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.) rounded out the scoring with 12 points while adding five rebounds and three steals.
 
Plymouth State improves to 8-5 (2-3 LEC), while VTSU Castleton slides to 2-11 (1-4 LEC).
 
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 90, VTSU Castleton 64
  • Plymouth State (8-5, 2-3 LEC)
  • VTSU Castleton (2-11, 1-4 LEC)

Top Performers:

• Plymouth State
  • Kevin Henry (16 pts, 8-14 fg, 6 reb)
  • Ivan Yen (14 pts, 5-6 fg, 2-3 3pt, 7 ast, 4 reb)
  • Jayden Montgomery (13 pts, 6-9 fg, 6 reb)
  • Elijah Swanson (12 pts, 5-8 fg, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl)

How it Happened:

• Henry opened the game with a quick layup and Swanson's baseline dunk set the tone for the Panthers. Despite the early momentum, the Spartans rallied to tie the score at 16-16 after eight minutes of play.
• PSU quickly countered with a 13-3 spurt to build a double-digit lead, 29-19, less than five minutes later.
• The Panthers maintained the comfortable margin, with freshman Brady Hulland (Amston, Conn.) connecting from the interior to make it 40-26 at the break.
• Yen's triple with 12:37 to play extended the advantage to 60-39 and the Panthers cruised the rest of the way.

By the Numbers:

• Plymouth State shot a season best 38-of-68 (55.9%) while holding the Spartans to 32.4% from the floor (24-of-74).
• VTSU Castleton held a 51-38 edge on the boards, including a 27-11 advantage in offensive rebounds.
• PSU distributed the ball especially well, racking up 23 assists.
• The Panthers forced 22 turnovers and converted them into 35 points.
• PSU doubled up the Spartans on points in the paint, 52-26, while the Panthers' bench outscoring its counterparts by a 26-12 margin.
• Plymouth State has controlled the series, winning each of the last 11 games and owning a 32-7 mark in head-to-head meetings.

Up Next:

• The Panthers stay home for a league matchup with UMass Boston on Thursday (Jan. 16). Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

 
 
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