Boston, Mass. – Sophomore guard Nick Pelotte scored 34 points, including 19 in the second half, as the visiting Plymouth State held off the Tufts University for a 95-87 road victory in men’s basketball action at Cousens Gym on Monday night. The Panthers quickly opened a 15-3 lead about four minutes into the game with freshman Kevin Boutilier scoring their first 10 points. They maintained a healthy margin over the next five minutes, then added to it with a 24-9 stretch that gave them a 51-27 lead following a layup by Pelotte with 2:52 to go in the first half. The Panthers led 55-37 as they went into halftime. Senior co-captain Jim Wilson and sophomore forward Reggie Stovell had eight points at the break for Tufts. Tufts chipped away at the deficit early in the second half, then exploded for 15 straight points to tie the score at 63-63 on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Andrew Kaklamanos at 12:08. Tufts senior guard Mike McGlynn had eight points during the 15-0 run, including two three-pointers. Pelotte hit a jumper at 10:59 giving the visitors their lead back, 65-63, and they would not lose it again. A three-pointer by sophomore J.J. Truman pushed the margin to 75-68 at 6:32, and a layup by junior center Ryan Chicoine put Plymouth up 81-71 at 5:18. Tufts cut it to five, 81-76, on a McGlynn three-pointer and a layup by Wilson at 5:01, but that’s as close as they would get. Pelotte had 16 points down the stretch after Tufts tied the game. Plymouth shot 50.7 percent (38/75) from the floor, with sophomore Anthony Oglesby adding 20 points and nine rebounds for the Panthers. Senior Kenny Stewart chipped in seven assists in the win. Sophomore center Craig Coupe led Tufts with 22 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, while McGlynn finished with 20 points including five threes and had five assists. Stovell added 12 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. A 5’11″ guard, Pelotte has been instrumental in helping Plymouth State to a 5-1 start, leading the team in scoring in four of the six games. He averaged 22.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three outings last week, and maintains the LEC scoring lead with 24.2 points per game. Pelotte scored 30 points in last Tuesday’s 77-66 win over Colby-Sawyer, and added 28 in an 84-79 triumph over UMass Dartmouth in last Saturday’s LEC opener. Sophomore Nick Pelotte scored a game-high 28 points Saturday, December 7 as Plymouth State College knocked off the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 84-79, in the Little East Conference men’s basketball opener for both schools. The victory improves PSC to 5-1 on the season, while UMD, the LEC pre-season favorite, drops to 3-2 overall. The outcome also snaps Plymouth State’s losing streak to UMD, which had reached eight games since the Panthers swept both contests in the 1998-99 season. Pelotte hit 8-of-15 attempts from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line, while adding four assists and two steals. It was the fourth time in six games that Pelotte has led the Panthers in scoring with at least 28 points. Sophomore Anthony Oglesby also contributed to the victory with 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Plymouth State jumped out to a first-half lead and maintained a 45-37 advantage at the break. The Panthers held on to the lead in the second half, preventing the Corsairs from getting back into the game. The visitors shot 54.5 percent from the field, while UMD converted only 42.4 percent of its shots. Plymouth State College overcame a 14-point second half deficit to tie the game in the final minute Thursday night, but Salem State College broke the tie with 20 seconds remaining and held on for a 73-71 victory in a non-conference men’s basketball game. The Panthers trailed 47-33 at intermission, but rallied in the second half and pulled even at 71-all with less than 30 seconds remaining. But it was the Vikings who eked out the home victory, scoring the final two points with seven seconds left. Sophomore Anthony Oglesby led the Panthers with 21 points, while freshman Kevin Boutilier added 14 points and sophomore J.J. Truman chipped in with 10. Plymouth State’s next match is home, Saturday December 14 against Little East conference opponent, Eastern Connecticut at 3:00 p.m.
Plymouth State University
Thursday, June 26, 2025