WATERVILLE, Maine – Senior
Hailey Malozzi (Maynard, Mass.) posted a huge double-double as Plymouth State University rallied from eight points down with three minutes to play to top Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 58-55, in the opening game of the Terrier Tip-Off Classic hosted by Thomas College at Larry Mahaney Gymnasium on Saturday evening.
The Monks held a 53-45 lead with 3:20 left, but junior
Ashley Stephens (Pembroke, N.H.) tied the game at 54-54 with a jumper in the paint in the final minute. St. Joe's regained the lead with a free throw, but sophomore
Kaley Goodhart (Center Conway, N.H.) calmly knocked down two free throws to give the Panthers a 56-55 edge with 17 seconds remaining. Malozzi then sealed the win with a two more from the stripe.
Malozzi finished with a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, shooting an impressive 7-of-12 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line. Senior
Elli Cox (Deerfield, N.H.) added eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
Plymouth State starts the season 1-0, while St. Joe's falls to 0-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 58, St. Joe's 55
- Plymouth State (1-0)
- St. Joe's (0-1)
Top Performers:
- Hailey Malozzi (23 pts, 7-12 fg, 3-5 3pt, 11 reb, 3 ast)
- Elli Cox (8 pts, 4-6 fg, 5 reb, 3 ast)
- Sophie George (8 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl)
- Ashley Stephens (8 pts, 4 reb, 2 blk)
How it Happened:
- Freshman Genna Bolduc (Dover, N.H.) buried a three-pointer to knot the game at 6-6 midway through the first quarter.
- Malozzi's layup and jumper put the Panthers ahead, 12-9, with 3:23 left in the frame. With the score tied late, freshman Alex White (Derry, N.H.) drove for a layup to give PSU a 16-14 edge after one.
- The Monks went up 21-16 early in the second, but Cox scored on consecutive possessions to trim the deficit to one at halftime, 24-23.
- St. Joe's hit from deep to take its biggest lead, 35-25, just under three minutes into the third, but Malozzi responded with eight straight points. Her free throws in the closing seconds gave PSU a 41-40 lead heading to the fourth.
- The Monks opened the final stanza with a 7-0 run, and led 53-45 with 3:20 remaining.
- Senior Sophie George (Meredith, N.H.) drilled a three to spark the comeback, and Stephens' jumper tied the game at 54-54 with 42 seconds left.
- St. Joe's split a pair of free throws to briefly reclaim the lead, but Goodhart sank both of hers with 17 seconds to go. Stephens pulled down a key defensive rebound before Malozzi iced it with two more free throws.
By the Numbers:
- PSU shot 40.0% (22-of-55) from the field and his six threes.
- St. Joe's owned 47-37 rebounding edge.
- The Panthers blocked seven shots, led by Stephens and sophomore Torle Adumene (Manchester, N.H.) with two apiece.
- PSU's reserves outscored the Monks' bench 15-9.
- The game featured five ties and eight lead changes.
- Plymouth State improves to 5-2 all-time against St. Joe's, winning four straight. The teams last met in the 2003-04 season.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State closes out the tournament on Sunday (Nov. 9) with a 1 p.m. matchup against Elms College.
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