NASHUA, N.H. – The Plymouth State University men's basketball team nearly completed a dramatic comeback, but a last-second attempt rimmed out as the Panthers fell to the Rivier University, 66-65, in a non-conference matchup at Muldoon Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
Plymouth State erased a ten-point halftime deficit with an energetic second-half surge, taking the lead midway through the period and setting up a back-and-forth final stretch. Trailing 66-61 in the final minute, sophomore
Brady Hulland (Amston, Conn.) had a huge block at the rim and PSU hit four straight free throws to make it a one-point game with 43 seconds left to play. Plymouth State had the final possession, but Rivier deflected the ball loose with one second left and a final attempt at the buzzer rimmed out as the Raiders escaped with a narrow win.
Senior
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) paced the Panthers with 21 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Classmate
Yansel Reyes (Manchester, N.H.) added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, while sophomore
Will Mollica (Stratham, N.H.) chipped in 10 points, seven boards and four assists in a well-rounded performance.
Plymouth State falls to 3-4 on the season, while Rivier improves to 4-4.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 65, Rivier 66
- Plymouth State (3-4)
- Rivier (4-4)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The teams traded buckets early, playing to a 10-10 tie with 14:12 left in the opening half.
- Rivier connected on three straight three-pointers to build a 26-17 lead with 7:40 remaining, prompting a PSU timeout.
- Plymouth State trimmed the deficit to five with 1:07 left, but the Raiders scored the last five points of the half to lead 43-33 at the break.
- The Panthers stormed out of halftime with an 11-0 run, taking their first lead (48-47) since the game's early minutes.
- Rivier responded with a 6-0 burst to retake control, going up 53-48.
- PSU countered once again, tying the game at 53-53 with 8:47 left.
- The Raiders built what appeared to be a decisive seven-point cushion (66-59) with 3:12 on the clock.
- Plymouth State battled back. Hulland made a game-saving block and Bosworth sank two free throws at the other end. A quick Rivier foul put freshman Asante' Aurora (New Bedford, Mass.) on the line, where he drained both to make it a one-point game (66-65) with 43 seconds left.
- PSU got a defensive stop to get the ball back with 11 seconds left. After a timeout, Rivier knocked the ball loose, but the Panthers recovered and used another timeout with less than a second remaining. A quick catch-and-shoot off the inbounds pass bounced out as Rivier escaped with the win.
By the Numbers:
- PSU shot 42.3% (22-of-52) from the field.
- Rivier held a slight 32–30 edge on the boards.
- The game featured six ties and nine lead changes.
- Both teams posted eight steals.
- Rivier held an 18-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
- PSU outscored the Raiders 28-18 in the paint.
- Plymouth State now holds a 19-3 all-time record against Rivier.
Up Next:
- PSU welcomes Colby-Sawyer to Foley Gymnasium next Wednesday (Dec. 5) for a 7 p.m. clash with the Chargers.
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