PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Plymouth State women’s basketball came away with a win against the University of New England, 71-69 in the quarterfinals of the ECAC tournament Wednesday Night at Foley Gymnasium. The eighth seeded looked like the number one seed in the tourney as the University of New England dominated much of the first half. UNE junior point guard Melissa Roller was a deadly threat behind the three- point arch for most of the game. While most of Plymouth’s points came from fast breaks and inside the paint, they were able to keep within striking range of UNE. The first half ended with the score tied at 33 apiece. Plymouth senior guard Jenn Pelletier had the opportunity to put the Panthers ahead at the half when she was fouled just as time expired. However she was unable to convert either opportunity.
Plymouth opened the second half on an 11-3 run with a great full court press that stifled the UNE ballhandlers. UNE continued shooting from deep in an attempt to keep the match close. Plymouth senior Whitney Morin had a very strong second half acting as one of the main catalysts in the run as she was responsible for many of the turnover points. With thirty seconds left the Panthers led by four points and had control of the ball. With fourteen seconds left, Roller hit a long three pointer that brought UNE within one. Pelletier missed a foul shot with less than twenty seconds to go only up by one but UNE through the ball out of bounds on a fast break opportunity. Morin was then fouled and hit one of two shots to put Plymouth up by two. UNE with two seconds left through the inbounds pass right into the hands of Plymouth senior Heather Adey and Plymouth survived the scare, 71-69.
“We’re glad to still be playing,” said senior captain Heather Adey after the game. “Losing in the tournament was heartbreaking after beating Eastern.” This is a good opportunity for us go out on top and end our season with a win.”
The Plymouth State College women’s basketball team was defeated by the 14th ranked, and NCAA-bound University of Southern Maine on Saturday, March 1, with a score of 74-65 in the Championship game of the Little East Conference Tournament at the University of Southern Maine’s Hill Gymnasium. The Huskies won their seventh consecutive Little East Conference tournament title. The win improves Southern Maine to 25-3 extending their current winning streak to 12 while Plymouth State slips to 20-8.
Plymouth State, which split both games to Southern Maine during the regular season, ended the first half down by six after their opponent closed out the first half with a 7-0 run to take a 34-28 advantage into the break. The six-point lead represented the largest advantage either side had enjoyed in the first half, which featured six ties and nine lead changes.
Plymouth State was not out of the game but certainly had troubles containing the offense of the Huskies. The Huskies’ halftime lead was on the strength of their outside shooting. Six players combined to score nine three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Overall, Southern Maine scored just eleven first half baskets.
Southern Maine took its largest lead of the game at 53-43, when sophomore guard Kristen Tong scored a spinning lay-up and converted the ensuing free throw with 10:51 to play. The Panthers answered with an 11-3 run, culminating on a driving lay-up by senior guard Jenn Pelletier run to pull within two points with 8:29 remaining. However, the Panthers would cut the deficit no further. Southern Maine went up by as many as eight points on two occasions, with the final time occurring at 66-58 with 2:30 to play. A three-pointer by Plymouth State junior guard Brandy Adams cut the deficit to 66-61 with 2:10 remaining.
Unfortunately for Plymouth State, the Huskies closed out the game with a 9-3 run. They were able to connect on 7-of-8 foul shots down the stretch to account for the 75-64 final. Southern Maine junior guard Meg Cressler added eighteen points, eight rebounds and four assists, while senior forward Jess Libby contributed nine points and nine rebounds.
Plymouth State was paced by senior forward Whitney Morin, who scored twenty-one points, while senior forward Courtney Albert contributed thirteen points and ten rebounds, and Pelletier added twelve points.
The Plymouth State College women’s basketball team defeated the 18th ranked Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday, February 28, with a score of 87-85 in the semifinals of the Little East Conference Tournament at the University of Southern Maine’s Hill Gymnasium. The Panthers were able to overpower an extremely talented Eastern Connecticut opponent in a game that could have been won by either team. The win improves the Panthers to 20-7 on the season while Eastern Connecticut ends their season at 23-4.
Plymouth State, which lost both games to Eastern during the regular season, trailed by as much as eight points late in the first half before going on an 11-2 run to close the half with a 38-37 lead. Courtney Albert and Jenn Pelletier were strong contributors towards the team’s offense in the first half. Whitney Morin played an outstanding defensive match-up against Eastern’s best player, Allison Coleman.
The Panthers led the entire second half, including an eleven point margin (69-58) with 5:45 to play. Even so, Eastern would not go down easily. The Warriors battled back to tie the game at 77-77 with forty-nine seconds remaining in regulation. Again with the score tied and the ball in the hands of Coleman with fifteen seconds left, Plymouth State’s Whitney Morin stepped up, swiping the ball from Coleman’s possession to refuse the Warriors to have a final shot before time expired. Each team had a chance for the winning bucket, but the game went to overtime.
During the overtime session, both teams appeared determined to win and make it to the championship game. Plymouth State had a four-point lead three times in the extra session, but Eastern kept coming back. The Panthers led 85-81 with two minutes to go, but Eastern responded with a pair of hoops, the second coming with twenty-one seconds left on the clock. Senior guard Brandy Adams then received a pass from Whitney Morin and hit a cutting lay-up with one second remaining giving Plymouth the 87-85 win.
The Panthers got an excellent performance from its seniors. In addition to Adams, who finished with five points, point guard Jenn Pelletier registered twenty-five points (on 10-of-15 shooting), eleven rebounds and six assists. Guard Whitney Morin contributed twenty-two points, forward Courtney Albert had nineteen points and ten rebounds, and Heather Adey added ten points and six boards.
Eastern Connecticut got twenty-four points and nine rebounds from junior Deanne Prior, nineteen points, thirteen assists and nine rebounds from junior Allison Coleman, and fourteen points and sixteen rebounds from senior Morgan Perry. Sophomore Jen Bergeron and junior Kathleen Burdelski chipped in with ten points apiece.
Plymouth’s next match will be against the winner of the Albertus Magnus/Westfield State game this Saturday, March 8 at Foley Gymnasium.