BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.) scored 21 points to continue his march towards the 1,000-career point club, but the University of Massachustts Boston shot better than 55% from the floor to top Plymouth State University, 88-57, in a Little East Conference (LEC) game at Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium on Saturday.
 
The Beacons got out to a hot start to build a quick double-digit advantage, and PSU was unable to keep pace. The Panthers trimmed the deficit to nine with three minutes left in the first half, but the hosts used an 11-1 surge to head into the break with a comfortable lead.
 
UMass Boston continued its hot shooting in the second half, firing at a 55.6% clip including a 5-for-10 effort from beyond the three-point line to stave off any thoughts of another Plymouth State comeback.
 
Henry finished with 21 points to inch closer to the individual milestone. He currently sits at 963 points with two regular season games left on the slate.
 
Senior Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton, N.H.) stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks as the only other Panther in double figures.
 
Plymouth State dips to 11-12 (4-10 LEC), while the Beacons improve to 12-11 (7-8 LEC). The Panthers sit 1-1/2 games behind Southern Maine, with the Huskies still in action this afternoon, with two games to play. The two teams lock heads for a crucial conference game on Wednesday (Feb. 19).
 
 
The Basics:

• Plymouth State 57, UMass Boston 88
  • Plymouth State (11-12, 4-10 LEC)
  • UMass Boston (12-11, 7-8 LEC)

Top Performers:

• Plymouth State
  • Kevin Henry (21 pts, 11-14 ft, 2 ast, 2 blk)
  • Kevin Newton-Delgado (14 pts, 5-6 fg, 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk)
  • Elijah Swanson (8 pts, 2 reb)

How it Happened:

• The Beacons came out firing, building a quick double-digit lead, 12-2, after four minutes of play.
• PSU scored seven unanswered points to cut the margin to nine, 20-11, midway through the first half.
• UMB grew the lead to 16, 32-16, with 4:34 left before halftime.
• Newton-Delgado hit from beyond the arc to spark a 7-0 spurt as the Panthers again pulled to within nine, 32-23.
• The hosts went on an 11-1 run to close out the half and carry a 43-24 lead into the break.
• Newton-Delgado's bucket in the paint got PSU to within 52-34 five minutes into the second half, but the Beacons continued to hit shots and Plymouth State was unable to put together a big rally for the second straight game.

By the Numbers:

• Plymouth State went 19-of-50 (38.0%) from the floor.
• The Beacons shot 32-of-58 (55.2%) from the field and drained 9-of-21 (42.9%) from distance.
• The Panthers were 18-of-27 from the free throw line.
• UMB held a narrow 31-28 edge on the boards.
• PSU had six blocks as a team – the third-most in a game this season. Newton-Delgado, Henry and sophomore Jayden Montgomery (Nashua, N.H.) each finished with two apiece.
• Plymouth State leads the all-time series, 54-28. The Panthers won the previous meeting this season, 85-70.
• Henry sits at 963 career points with two regular season games to go.
• PSU remains tied with Eastern Connecticut at 4-10 in the conference standings. Southern Maine, with a 5-8 mark and still in action today, holds the final playoff spot. Plymouth State faces both teams next week.

 
Up Next:

• Plymouth State heads into the final week of the regular season with a playoff spot on the line. The Panthers host Southern Maine in a must-win contest on Wednesday (Feb. 19).

 
 
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