DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Senior
Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.) led the Panthers with 23 points and 14 rebounds, but the Plymouth State University men's basketball team fell to a last-minute surge by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs, 75-72, in a Little East Conference (LEC) contest in the Tripp Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Panthers found themselves up five points with 2:19 left in regulation, but UMass Dartmouth scored the final eight points of the contest to steal the LEC win.
Henry's second career double-double also marked his third double-digit rebounding effort in a game this season. Senior
Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.) added 12 points, while junior
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) rounded out the afternoon tallying 11 points in the losing effort for Plymouth State.
Plymouth State slips to 9-10 (3-8 LEC) on the season, while the Corsairs improve to 6-13 (3-7 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 72, UMass Dartmouth 75
- Plymouth State (9-10, 3-8 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (6-13, 3-7 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The Panthers shooting was hot early as the team took an 11-3 lead with 15:58 left in the first half.
- Midway through the first half, the Corsairs responded with 13 unanswered points to go up 21-17 with 8:22 to go.
- PSU knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to go back up 25-23 with 5:35 on the clock in the first.
- UMass Dartmouth knocked down a shot from distance to tie things up at 28-a-piece with a shade over four minutes until halftime.
- A foul called at the end of the first half put the Corsairs at the free throw line and the UMD guard converted both to give the team a narrow 35-33 lead heading into the locker room.
- The hosts increased the advantage to six points (51-45) with 12:53 left in regulation.
- Plymouth State re-tied the game at 57-57 with 8:20 to go in the second half.
- Behind a 7-0 run, Plymouth State made it a 64-60 game with 5:59 remaining.
- The Corsairs ran the floor and put home a layup following a missed free throw on the front end of a 1-and-1 to take their first lead (73-72) since the eight-minute mark.
- On PSU's next possession, the Corsairs blocked a field goal attempt from behind, leading to a fast break and easy layup to put UMD up 75-72 with :19 seconds left.
- The Panthers had three separate attempts to tie the game in the final ten seconds but were unable to convert from distance as the Corsairs snuck away with the home win.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State shot 51.7% from the floor (31-of-60) while holding the Corsairs to 40% (24-of-60).
- UMass Dartmouth knocked down 13 shots from distance to five for PSU.
- PSU outrebounded the Corsairs by a 36-35 margin.
- The Panthers led by as many as ten points in the contest.
- UMass Dartmouth was dominant off the bench, registering 49 bench points to 14 for PSU.
- Plymouth State recorded 38 points in the paint to 18 for UMD.
- Plymouth State has not beaten the Corsairs on the road since the 2019-20 season.
- The Panthers are now 0-7 on the road this season.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State visits Maine Maritime for a non-conference battle against the Mariners on Tuesday (Feb. 4). Opening tip at Margaret Chase Smith Gymnasium is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
– 30 –
