Men's Basketball Splits Two Close Games to Open Season
BSU 70 - PSU 64 / PSU 71 - Becker College 68
PLYMOUTH, N.H. - The Plymouth State men's basketball team split a pair of close games to open the season, as they took home 3rd place in the BSU Tip-Off Classic from Bridgewater State University. The Panthers fell to the host Bears 70-64, but would rebound to defeat Becker College 71-68 in the consolation game.
The Panthers played catch up for the entirety of the first game against Bridgewater. BSU was led by the play of Sophomore Michael Lofton, who scored 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds, six blocks, and three steals. The Bears also got strong play from Shawn Yard who scored 13 points, and freshman Conor Dunleavy who notched 10 points.
The Panthers trailed 34-26 at halftime, and trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half. Plymouth used a 14-3 run in the last five minutes to cut the deficit to four points with just 47 seconds remaining. However, the Bears would knock down six of their final eight free throws to put away the visitors. Senior Guard Kevin Eisenberg scored seven of his 12 points during the run for the Panthers.
One bright spot for PSU was the debut of freshman forward Uche Nwokeji who collected a double-double in his first game, scoring 14 points to go with 12 rebounds. Junior guard Alex Burt also played a strong game, tallying 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Nwokeji would have another strong outing as the Panthers defeated Becker College in a close contest to take home third place. The freshman forward followed up his strong debut with another 13 points and nine rebounds.
However, Nwokeji was not alone on the stat sheet, as a number of Panthers had strong performances. Alex Burt recorded another 14 points, while Petey Skevas and Sheldon Benson each chipped in with 11 points for PSU.
The Hawks were led by the great play of sophomore Lee Brocket, who gave Plymouth fits all afternoon, finishing with 33 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Brocket also hauled in eight rebounds and was named to the all-Tournament Team. Junior guard Mike Russell also had a good game for BC, finishing with 11 points.
PSU had a strong first half, as they headed into the locker room with a 33-26 advantage. The second half, though, was extremely back and forth. The game would feature both eight ties and eight lead changes. The panthers appeared to have the game locked up after a Burt three pointer put PSU up 66-56 with just under four minutes to play. However, the Hawks came back with an 8-0 run to trim the lead to two with just two minutes remaining. Becker had a chance to tie when they got the ball back with 16 seconds, trailing by just three points, but failed to convert on two three-point attempts.
Plymouth will look to improve their record to 2-0 when they travel to non-conference foe Castleton State College on Tuesday.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
More theclockonline News Articles
- Women's Lax Drops Opener Against Babson
- Season Ends on a Sour Note, but There’s Hope on the Horizon
- Wrestling: da Silva places 6th at Regionals
- Plymouth Paradise: Rail Jam 2019
Recent theclockonline News Articles
Discuss This Article
MOST POPULAR THECLOCKONLINE
Campton Elementary School 8th Grade Silent Auction & Spaghetti Dinner By Rebecca Tgibedes
Will You? By Isabelle Elsasser
Summer in the Sunflowers By Emily Holleran
Student Spotlight: Sabrina Siegel By Justine Walsh
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THECLOCKONLINE NEWS
RECENT THECLOCKONLINE CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Tips For Improving Mental Health
- New Writers and Illustrators Win Decades-Old Science...
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- The Untold Story of GoDaddy Founder’s Traumatic Life a...
- La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil destaca las oportunidades
- BookTrib's Bites: Four Captivating Spring Reads
- Moms Kick Back with Mamaritas
- Generac Urges Americans to Prepare for Power Outages Early
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
- Need Auto Glass Repair? Don’t Despair
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- NOW Available: Comcast Launches NOW Brand Prepaid Internet and Mobile Services Nationwide
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding