Providence, R.I.--Senior guard Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, NH) hit a three-pointer as time expired to give Plymouth State  a 71-70 victory against Rhode Island College in a Little East Conference contest played at The Murray Center on Saturday afternoon.

RIC (3-4, 0-1 LEC) sophomore forward Benjamin Vezele (Providence, RI) narrowly missed a double-double with a team-best 18 points and eight rebounds, while junior guard Jovel Beckford (Providence, RI) added 14 points and three boards.

Freshman guard Jaylen Leroy (Manchester, NH) led the way for Plymouth State (4-2, 1-0 LEC) with a game-high 26 points and two assists, while senior forward Jack Preston (Nashua, NH) tallied a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Brian Boulay (Keene, NH) notched nine points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in the victory.

RIC and Plymouth State traded baskets early with the score tied, 9-9, after five minutes of action. Plymouth State then used a 10-3 run, capped by a layup from Preston, to take a 19-12 advantage with 10:24 left in the first half. The visiting Panthers led by as many as eight points, 25-17 after a layup by Boulay with 7:28 remaining.  RIC stormed back and used a 14-6 run to close out the half, including a three-pointer from junior guard Roosevelt Shider (Meriden, CT) at the buzzer, to send the game into halftime all tied at 31.

The Anchormen came out strong in the second half and grabbed a 40-33 lead on a three-pointer by Beckford with 18:42 left in regulation. RIC took its first double-digit advantage of the contest on a tip-in from Vezele to put the team up by 10, 45-35, with 16:35 remaining. The visiting Panthers responded and knotted the game, 54-54, on a layup from Preston with 9:02 on the clock.

PSU took its first lead of the second half when a traditional three-point play by Boulay with 5:09 put the Panthers up by one, 57-56. The two teams then battled back and forth down the stretch with the score tied, 68-68, with just over thirty seconds remaining. On the ensuing play, Vezele hit a tough layup with 2.7 remaining to put the Anchormen up 70-68. After a loose ball, Plymouth State was able to run an inbounds play at half court. Arsenault caught ball a nailed a game-winner over two Anchormen defenders.

Vezele was perfect from the free throw line, 12-for-12, in a losing effort.

RIC shot 48.9 percent (22-for-45) from the field, 36.4 percent (8-for-22) from behind the three-point stripe and 72.0 percent (18-for-25) from the free throw line. Plymouth State shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) from the field, 50.0 percent (7-for-14) from three-point land and 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from the free throw line. Plymouth State held a 33-29 advantage in rebounds for the contest and forced the Anchormen into 20 turnovers.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will play at Johnson & Wales on Tuesday, Dec. 6 (7 p.m.).