MBB: Panthers' late comeback falls short at Rhode Island College

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University men's basketball team fell to the Rhode Island College Anchormen, 63-62, in Little East Conference (LEC) action at the Murray Center in a Saturday matinee.

The Panthers found themselves down ten points with under four minutes to play and waged a valiant comeback attempt that came up just short.  For the third straight game, the Panthers had ball-in-hand with the chance for a buzzer beating game-winner but could not knock down the final basket as time expired.

Graduate student Giorgi Tskilauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) continued his impressive run, leading all scorers with 22 points, while freshman Eli Pockette (Rutland, Vt.) had an impressive afternoon, recording 14 points in 21 minutes of play.  Sophomore Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) rounded out the Panthers' double-digit scoring with 12 points in the losing effort.

Plymouth State moves to 4-9 (0-4 LEC), while RIC improves to 11-3 and 4-1 in LEC play.

The Basics:

• Plymouth State 62, Rhode Island College 63
  • Plymouth State (4-9, 0-4 LEC)
  • Rhode Island College (11-3, 4-1 LEC)

Top Performers:

• Giorgi Tsiklauri (22 pts, 6-14 fg, 4-8 3pt, 6-7 ft, 5 reb)
• Eli Pockette (14 pts, 6-10 fg, 2-3 3pt, 4 reb)
• Torran Bosworth (12 pts, 4-8 fg, 2-4 3pt, 5 ast)

How it Happened:

• The teams traded buckets to open the game, as the game was locked at 8-8 with 14:18 to go in the first half.
• RIC jumped out to an eight-point lead (21-13) with 8:51 on the clock in the opening frame.
• The Panthers erupted on a 17-3 run to take a 30-24 advantage with 1:32 remaining until the half.
• PSU maintained a six-point lead (32-26) into the locker room.
• The Anchormen re-took the advantage, 38-37, five minutes into the second half.
• RIC extended the gap to 10 points, 57-47 with 3:58 left in the contest.
• Plymouth State started to chip away, as a Tsiklauri three-pointer closed the score to 61-60 with 1:56 remaining.
• A good jump-shot from the Anchormen kept it a one-possession game, 63-60, with 1:08 to go.
• RIC elected to foul up three points, as senior Kyler Bosse (Manchester, N.H) knocked down both free throws with 44 seconds on the clock.
• The Panthers stole the ball with 16 seconds to play but the attempted game-winner rimmed out as time expired.

By the Numbers:

• The Panthers shot 21-of-56 (37.5%) from the floor, and 8-of-20 (40.0%) from three.
• RIC outrebounded Plymouth State, 39-35.
• Bench points were in the Anchormen's favor, 24-21.
• The Panthers recorded 18 points in the paint to RIC's 24.
• It was Tsiklauri's sixth 20-point game of his career, scoring his 700th point as a Panther.
• The Panthers now own a 41-44 record in the head-to-head dating back to 1986.

Up Next:

• Plymouth State remains in league action on Tuesday (Jan. 9) when the Panthers visit Glenbrook Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. battle with VTSU Castleton.

– 30 –