PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Raegan Peck (Dudley, Mass.) shined in Foley Gymnasium, but the Plymouth State University women's basketball team was defeated by the Keene State College Owls, 55-45, in a Little East Conference (LEC) matchup Wednesday evening.
Points were at a premium, especially early on as the teams combined for just nine first quarter points. The Panthers led midway through the fourth quarter, but Keene State knocked down 12 of the team's 14 fourth quarter free throw attempts in the final two minutes to walk away with the conference victory.
Peck led the Panthers with 20 points, while sophomore
Ashley Stephens (Pembroke, N.H.) recorded nine points of her own. Graduate student
Alessia Salzillo (Saugus, Mass.) tallied seven points in the losing effort for the Panthers.
Nearly half of the Owls' 55 team points were scored at the free throw line (27).
Plymouth State drops to 3-15 (0-10 LEC), while the Owls improve to 8-11 (4-6 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 45, Keene State 55
- Plymouth State (3-15, 0-10 LEC)
- Keene State (8-11, 4-6 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- After a combined nine missed field goal attempts, the Owls managed the first points of the game to go up 2-0 with 6:36 remaining in the first quarter.
- The Owls extended the margin to 7-0 with 1:26 left in the first.
- Plymouth State got on the scoreboard in the final minute to close out the low-scoring first quarter trailing 7-2.
- The Panthers tallied the first five points of the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:53 to go until halftime.
- Keene State responded with a 10-3 run to go up 17-10 with 3:49 left in the second quarter.
- The Panthers kept KSC without a field goal over the final four minutes of the second quarter, as Plymouth State closed the gap to a one-possession game (20-17) at the break.
- PSU outscored the Owls 10-8 in the third quarter to trail by one, 28-27, entering the fourth.
- Back-to-back three-pointers by Peck put the Panthers up 36-33 with 6:40 to go in regulation.
- The Owls re-gained the lead, 41-40, on a three-pointer with 3:58 remaining in the contest. The basket sparked an 11-0 run as KSC took a 49-40 advantage with just over a minute remaining.
- Peck knocked down another triple, her fifth of the night, to make it a five-point game with 30 seconds left, but that was as close as the Panthers would get as Keene knocked down free throws.
By the Numbers:
- PSU attempted 60 field goals to 45 for the Owls.
- Keene State shot 27-of-34 from the charity stripe (79.4%).
- Plymouth State dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Owls 50-37, with a season-high 23 offensive rebounds.
- 45% of the games' total points were scored in the fourth quarter.
- Bench points were in favor of Keene State, 14-7.
- Only 22 total points were scored in paint, with PSU edging KSC 12-10.
- The Panthers have lost 9 out of the last 10 meetings between the teams.
Up Next:
- The Panthers will head back on the road as the team travels to the Tripp Athletic Center in a matchup against the #25 Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth. The game is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 1).
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