MBB: Newton-Delgado, Tsiklauri power Panthers in setback to Southern Maine

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior Kevin Newton-Delgado (Hopkinton, N.H.) was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor for a career-high 18 points and graduate student Giorgi Tsiklauri (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted his third double-double in the last four games, but the University of Southern Maine held off Plymouth State University, 75-67, in a Little East Conference (LEC) men's basketball contest at Foley Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The Huskies came out firing on all cylinders, banging five three-pointers in the opening eight-plus minutes to race out to a 21-2 lead. Newton-Delgado went to work, converting contested shots on the interior time and again, but the Huskies carried a 38-24 lead into halftime.

PSU charged out of the break, with Tsiklauri providing a spark as the Panthers cut the deficit in half, 40-33, after just 2:32 of action. Plymouth State continued to whittle down the lead, and senior Kyler Bosse (Manchester, N.H.) hit from distance to put the Panthers in front for the first time, 48-47, with 10:33 left to play.

The teams went back-and-forth from there, until a 10-3 spurt gave the Huskies a 70-64 advantage with just over a minute to play and the visitors were strong from the free throw line to secure the win.

Plymouth State dips to 5-12 (1-7 LEC), while Southern Maine improves to 9-7 and 5-3 in the Little East.

The Basics:

• Plymouth State 67, Southern Maine 75
  • Plymouth State (5-12, 1-7 LEC)
  • Southern Maine (9-7, 5-3 LEC)

Top Performers:

• Kevin Newton-Delgado (18 pts, 8-8 fg, 5 reb)
• Giorgi Tsiklauri (17 pts, 13 reb, 3 stl, 2 ast)
• Kyler Bosse (14 pts, 3 reb)
• Elijah Swanson (7 pts, 6 reb)

How it Happened:

• Southern Maine roared out of the gates, drilling five three-pointers and shooting lights out from the floor on the way to a 21-2 lead after 8:39 of action.
• The Panthers responded with a 12-4 surge over the next 3:31, cutting the margin to 25-14, with Newton-Delgado pouring in eight points in the low post.
• USM stayed hot from deep to push the advantage to 38-21, before junior Elijah Swanson (Meredith, N.H.) connected from long distance in the final ten seconds to make it a 38-24 game heading into halftime.
• The Panthers came out of the break with new-found energy and a 9-0 run cut the margin to 40-33 with 17:28 left on the clock. Southern Maine answered to restore the 10-point lead, 45-35, but Bosse and sophomore Torran Bosworth (Springfield, Mass.) combined for 11 points during a 13-2 surge to give the Panthers their first lead of the game, 48-47, midway through the frame.
• USM went back in front but Tsiklauri connected from beyond the arc and moments later sank a pair from the free throw line. The teams traded three-pointers, with freshman Eli Pockette (Rutland, Vt.) hitting from distance to put PSU ahead, 61-62, but Southern Maine used a 7-1 spurt to take the lead for good.
• Newton-Delgado made it a three-point game, 67-64, with two minutes to go, but that was as close as the Panthers would get as Southern Maine was solid from the charity stripe down the stretch.

By the Numbers:

• After shooting 30.6% (11-of-36) from the field in the first half, Plymouth State settled in to go 15-for-26 (57.7%) in the second half.
• PSU finished 10-of-15 from the free throw line after taking just one free throw in the first half.
• PSU held a 37-30 advantage on the boards, including 10-1 on the offensive glass.
• The Panthers' reserves outscored their counterparts by a 36-9 margin.
• PSU owned a 38-20 edge in points in the paint.
• The two teams have split the last ten meetings.

Up Next:

• The Panthers host WestConn in another LEC contest on Saturday (Jan. 20). Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.

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