Concord, NH-In the Boys and Girls Club Classic hosted at New Hampshire Technical Institute, The Plymouth State men’s basketball team shut down Rivier 73-61. The 12 point victory helped the Panthers improve their record to 2-1 while Rivier’s dropped to a winless 0-2.
In a game that had a 39 point second half in favor of PSU, it also featured a single 22 point game by Freshman Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, NH/Philips Exeter). Aresenault was solid on the night going 8 for 12 on the floor and also dropping 6 out of 7 shots from the free throw line. PSU’s Alex Burt (Dover, NH) played well and was third on the team with 10 points while grabbing three boards.
At the half Plymouth State was ahead of Rivier 34-28 and stayed strong going into halftime. At the start of the second half Rivier began to pressure the Panthers but after a huge run that included fastbreak magic by Skevas they regained full control and cruised to a 73-61 victory.
Plymouth stayed in control of the ball for the majority of the ball game thanks to senior point guard Petey Skevas (Wetherfield, Conn.). Skevas quarterbacked the offense all night dishing out seven assists while adding 11 points on the floor and four rebounds. When asked how it felt to start the season above 500 and if there could be room for improvement Skevas said, “It feels good to start the season on a good note. We put a lot of hard work in the preseason and it’s nice to see some immediate success. We just need to stay focused as a team and take it day by day. Preparing for this next game will be key to our improvement”.
Plymouth State looks to continue the winning Saturday 3:00 pm in a home opener against Lyndon State College. Rivier will try to get back on track as they tip off their 20th Rivier Tip-Off Tournament.