PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Eli Pockette (Rutland, Vt.) poured in a career-high 22 points as Plymouth State University rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to topple Keene State College, 78-76, in a Little East Conference men's basketball game at Foley Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
A pair of free throws gave the visiting Owls a 64-53 lead with 7:39 left in regulation, but Pockette hit a floater in the paint and then drained a three-pointer to spark a 10-1 surge. Senior
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) scored five points during the run, including a clutch three-pointer, and a minute later sophomore
Brady Hulland (Amston, Conn.) nailed a corner three to tie the game at 66-66 with four minutes to play.
Keene State went back in front, 70-68, on an offensive rebound and put-back with less than two minutes remaining, but senior
Yansel Reyes (Manchester, N.H.) drilled a three-pointer to regain the lead. On the ensuing KSC possession, sophomore
Will Mollica (Stratham, N.H.) came up with a clutch steal, and Hulland finished at the rim to extend the Panthers' lead, 73-70, with 1:18 on the clock.
Twice the Owls whittled the deficit to one, but Plymouth State went 5-for-6 from the free throw line down the stretch, with the lone miss and intentional miss with 0.5 seconds remaining.
Plymouth State improves to 5-7 (1-2 LEC), while Keene State slips to 5-7 (2-2 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 78, Keene State 76
- Plymouth State (5-7, 1-2 LEC)
- Keene State (5-7, 2-2 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- Pockette and Hulland knocked down early three-pointers as the Panthers raced out to an 8-0 lead.
- Another Pockette triple gave PSU an 11-5 advantage at the 16-minute mark.
- The Owls used an 8-2 spurt to cut the deficit to 20-19 midway through the first half.
- Keene State took its first lead, 27-24, with 6:25 remaining, but Plymouth State stayed within striking distance.
- The Panthers scored the final four points of the half to knot the game at 40-40 at the break.
- Freshman Asante' Aurora (New Bedford, Mass.) hit a pull-up jumper to give PSU a 51-50 lead with 11 minutes to play, but the Owls responded with a 14-2 run to go ahead 64-53 with 7:39 remaining.
- Pockette scored on a floater and then sank his fourth three-pointer of the night, and Hulland's corner three tied the game at 66-66 two minutes later.
- Twice the Owls went up by two, but the Panthers responded each time, and Reyes' left-wing three put PSU in front for good, 71-70, with 1:32 left.
- Mollica's key steal led to a Hulland basket, and Bosworth and Aurora knocked down critical free throws in the final 31 seconds to secure the league win.
By the Numbers:
- Pockette finished 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range, marking his second straight game with four made threes. He added six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
- Reyes recorded 16 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Bosworth added 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.
- Hulland pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and added nine points and two blocks.
- Mollica chipped in eight rebounds.
- The game featured 12 ties and 10 lead changes.
- Plymouth State held an 18-16 edge in points in the paint.
- The Panthers shot 26-of-62 (41.9%) from the field, including 10-of-28 (35.7%) from three-point range, and went 16-of-20 (80.0%) at the free throw line.
- Keene State went 21-for-63 (33.3%) from the floor, including 11-for-29 (37.9%) from long range, and finished 23-of-33 from the line.
- The victory marked Plymouth State's first regulation home win over the Owls since 2014.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State travels to VTSU Castleton for another LEC matchup on Thursday (Jan. 8). Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
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