PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Kevin Henry (Stratham, N.H.) scored his 1,000th-career point and Plymouth State University took down Eastern Connecticut State University, 65-57, in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's basketball
Senior Day contest at Foley Gymnasium on Saturday.
Henry needed just 17 points to join the milestone club, and it didn't take long. The storied Panther knocked down a jump shot from the left side of the key just three minutes into the second half to put himself in the history books, but there was more work to be done.
The Panthers were looking to play the spoiler as Eastern Connecticut State University was in a must-win situation to keep its postseason hopes alive.
The game rose to the occasion, with seven ties and ten lead changes throughout the contest, but Henry's go-ahead, 1,000-point shot put the Panthers in front for good.
Henry ended the afternoon with 27 points, giving him a career total of 1,010, becoming the 36th player in the history of the men's program to achieve such a feat. Junior
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) was the only other Panther to record double-digits, adding 13 points in the winning effort for Plymouth State.
The Panthers celebrated Henry,
Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.),
Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton, N.H.) and
Mason Jenkins (Charles Town, W.V.) in a
Senior Day ceremony held before tipoff.
Plymouth State ends its season with a 12-13 (5-11 LEC) record, while the Warriors fall to 14-11 (5-11 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 65, Eastern Connecticut 57
- Plymouth State (12-13, 5-11 LEC)
- Eastern Connecticut (14-11, 5-11 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- The contest started back-and-forth as the teams found themselves tied at 12-12 with 14:56 to go in the first half.
- Play continued to be tight, as each team shared time with the lead, but the game remained tied at 22-22 with 8:10 on the clock in the first.
- Five straight points by the Warriors put the visitors in front, 34-29, with 1:26 to go until halftime – one of the few times either team led by more than one possession in the first half.
- The Panthers knocked down the final bucket of the first half as time expired to cut the deficit to three points (34-31).
- Plymouth State opened the second half on a 12-4 run, including Henry's historic jumper to regain the lead, 38-36, with 16:35 on the clock.
- Plymouth State remained in front, 43-38, with 14:09 to go.
- The Panthers extended the margin to eight points (50-42) with 9:36 left in the second half.
- Eastern Connecticut got no closer than four points down the stretch as the Panthers closed out the afternoon with a win, squashing the Warriors' postseason dreams in the process.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State shot 23-of-56 (41.1%) from the floor.
- The Panthers took a season low five three-point attempts, hitting 3-of-5 (60.0%).
- PSU outrebounded the Warriors, 37-34, with a 12-10 margin on the offensive glass.
- PSU forced 24 turnovers while giving up just ten.
- A combined 14 points were scored off the bench.
- Henry's 1,010 career points ranked 34th all-time in the PSU men's basketball program.
- Plymouth State is 39-45 in the head-to-head matchup dating back to the 1987-88 season.
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