CASTLETON, Vt. – For the second straight contest, Plymouth State University erased a double-digit second-half deficit to earn a key Little East Conference (LEC) victory, as the Panthers rallied past Vermont State University Castleton, 83-75, at Glenbrook Gymnasium on Thursday night.
PSU trailed by as many as 15 points late in the first half but closed strong to cut the deficit to 32-22 at the break. Castleton briefly restored its double-digit advantage in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Panthers responded with an explosive run. Senior
Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 54-54 midway through the half, and Plymouth State surged ahead by as many as 11 points down the stretch to secure its second consecutive conference win.
Led by senior
Yansel Reyes' (Manchester, N.H.) 19 second-half points, Plymouth State shot better than 70% from the field (19-for-27) and scored 61 points after halftime – its highest single-half total since posting 67 points against the Spartans in November 2008.
With the victory, the Panthers improve to 6-7 (2-2 LEC). VTSU Castleton slides to 5-8 (0-4 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 83, VTSU Castleton 75
- Plymouth State (6-7, 2-2 LEC)
- VTSU Castleton (5-8, 0-4 LEC)
Top Performers:
- Plymouth State
- Yansel Reyes (22 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl)
- Eli Pockette (13 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl)
- Torran Bosworth (13 pts, 3-6 3pt)
- Brady Hulland (12 pts, 6-9 fg, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl)
How it Happened:
- Things stayed close in the early going, with freshman Asante' Aurora (New Bedford, Mass.) drilling a three-pointer to knot the score at 10-10 eight minutes into the game.
- Castleton responded with a 19-4 run to take a 29-14 lead with four minutes remaining in the first half.
- Reyes hit a three-pointer and sophomore Brady Hulland (Amston, Conn.) added a jumper as PSU trimmed the margin to 32-22 at halftime.
- Bosworth opened the second half with a three, but Castleton pushed the lead back to 42-32 four minutes into the period.
- Reyes sank a pair of free throws and junior Eli Pockette (Rutland, Vt.) connected from long range to spark a Panthers rally, and another Bosworth triple tied the game at 54-54 with 10 minutes remaining.
- Hulland's layup gave Plymouth State the lead, and the Panthers maintained a slight edge over the next seven minutes.
- Reyes scored 11 straight points for PSU, including a perfect 6-for-6 effort at the free throw line, as the Panthers extended to 75-65 with one minute to play.
- Castleton attempted to mount a comeback, but Plymouth State sealed the victory by converting all six free throw attempts in the final moments.
By the Numbers:
- Reyes recorded his sixth 20-point game of the season, erupting for 19 second-half points after scoring just three in the opening half. He finished 4-for-6 from the field and 9-for-10 at the line in the second half, while matching a season high with eight assists.
- All 13 of Pockette's points came in the second half, while Bosworth added 10 points after the break.
- Hulland contributed 12 points on efficient 6-of-9 shooting and pulled down six rebounds.
- Freshman Tahko Lara (Lawrence, Mass.) added five points on 2-for-2 shooting, along with three rebounds and an assist in under eight minutes.
- PSU shot a blistering 70.4% in the second half, including 50.0% (6-for-12) from beyond the arc. After not attempting a free throw in the first half, the Panthers went 17-for-18 (94.4%) in the second half.
- Plymouth State held advantages in points off turnovers (20-9) and fastbreak points (14-6).
- Castleton held a slim 27-23 edge on the glass.
- The Panthers now own a 34-7 advantage in the all-time series and have won 13 straight meetings.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts Eastern Connecticut State on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 2 p.m.
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