MBB: Lasell powers past Panthers in non-conference action

NEWTON, Mass. – Senior Kyler Bosse (Manchester, N.H.) scored a team-high 16 points to inch ever closer to the 1,000-career point threshold, but Lasell College used a big first half to overpower Plymouth State University, 85-59, in non-conference men's basketball action at Lasell Athletic Center on Thursday night.

Things stayed tight through the first 12-plus minutes as the Panthers held a slight 26-25 edge with under eight to play in the opening half. Lasell closed the half with 20 unanswered points, though, as the Lasers carried a 45-26 lead into the locker room.

The teams played even through the second half, but the early deficit was too large for PSU to overcome.

Now with 987 career points, Bosse needs just 13 more to become the program's 35th 1,000-point scorer.

Plymouth State slips to 4-3 on the year, while Lasell also stands at 4-3.

The Basics:

• Plymouth State 85, Lasell 59
  • Plymouth State (4-3)
  • Lasell (4-3)

Top Performers:

• Kyler Bosse (16 pts, 3 reb)
• Torran Bosworth (10 pts, 4 reb)
• Kevin Newton-Delgado (12 pts, 6-9 fg, 6 reb)
• Giorgi Tsiklauri (8 pts, 3-4 fg, 6 reb)

How it Happened:

• Lasell held a 12-7 lead through the first four minutes, but graduate student Giorgi Tsiklauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to cut into the deficit.
• Junior Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton, N.H.) got to the rim to make it a two-point game and sophomore Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) connected from distance to give the Panthers a 23-22 lead with 11:18 left in the half.
• The teams traded triples to give PSU a 26-25 edge with less than ten minutes before halftime and neither team could find a basket over the next two-plus minutes.
• Lasell scored 20 unanswered points over the final 7:22 of the half to surge into the locker room with a 45-26 advantage.
• Bosse got into the paint for a layup to trim the margin to 54-37 with 14:01 left on the clock, but that was as close as the Panthers would get.

By the Numbers:

• PSU shot 23-of-60 (38.3%) from the floor and made 9-of-12 from the charity stripe.
• Lasell was on fire from distance, draining 14-of-28 from beyond the arc.
• The Lasers' bench outscored the PSU reserves by a 23-18 margin.
• Points in the paint were deadlocked at 26-26, while both teams finished with 14 second chance points.
• Lasell held a narrow 34-31 advantage on the boards.

Up Next:

• Plymouth State opens Little East Conference (LEC) play with a trip to WestConn on Saturday (Dec. 2). Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.

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