PLYMOUTH, N.H. – The Plymouth State University women's basketball team fell to the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 67-43, in a Little East Conference (LEC) clash in Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
It was a slow start for the Panthers, as Southern Maine jumped out to a sizable lead. The Panthers found their offensive groove in the second half, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
Junior
Hailey Malozzi (Maynard, Mass.) continued to make a strong argument for an all-conference bid, leading all scorers with 19 points and adding eight rebounds. Classmate
Elli Cox (Deerfield, N.H.) led all players with nine boards.
Sophomore
Ashley Stephens (Pembroke, N.H.) registered four blocks in the evening, two shy of a Plymouth State's single game record which has stood for 40 years.
Plymouth State drops to 5-19 (1-14 LEC), while the Huskies improve to 15-9 (11-4 LEC) on the season.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 43, Southern Maine 67
- Plymouth State (5-19, 1-14 LEC)
- Southern Maine (15-9, 11-4 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- USM came out on a mission, holding the Panthers to a single field goal in the first quarter as the Panthers found themselves trailing 25-4 at the end of the first quarter.
- The Panthers outscored their opponent in the second quarter, but still trailed by 19 points (34-15) at halftime.
- PSU put together a 10-4 run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 16 points (43-27) with 4:17 left on the clock.
- The Huskies recorded the final 14 points of the third quarter to stretch the advantage to 60-29 with ten minutes left to play in the contest.
- USM closed out the fourth quarter to earn its 11th conference victory of the season.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State outrebounded the Hornets, 43-35.
- The Panthers continued to be a force on the offensive boards, bringing down 18 to nine for the Huskies.
- USM led end-to-end.
- Bench points were in the Huskies' favor, 24-8.
- Southern Maine led in points off turnovers (27-10) and points in the paint (16-14).
Up Next:
- Plymouth State plays its final game of the season on Saturday (Feb. 22) against LEC opponent Eastern Connecticut. Play is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.
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