November 8, 2022

WBB: Three-headed attack leads Panthers past NVU-Johnson

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Three players scored in double figures as Plymouth State University used a balanced attack to defeat the NVU-Johnson Badgers, 77-67, in the women's basketball season opener at Foley Gymnasium on Tuesday evening.

The Panthers knocked down ten three-pointers, the most since hitting 12 in a game against UMass Dartmouth on Feb. 9, 2019, to help put the Badgers away.

Senior Jalen Cook (Monkton, Vt.) led the Panthers with 25 points while nailing three triples, while freshman Sophie George (Meredith, N.H.) scored 17 points of her own in her collegiate debut. Junior Lauren Keller (Fort Morgan, Colo.) shot an efficient 5-of-10 from the floor for 15 points.

The game stayed within two possessions for most of the game until the Panthers used a 9-2 spurt to build a lead they would not relinquish.

Plymouth State starts its season at 1-0, while the Badgers fall to 0-1 following the season opener.

The Basics:

• Plymouth State 77, NVU-Johnson 67
  • Plymouth State (1-0)
  • NVU-Johnson (0-1)

Top Performers:

• Jalen Cook (25 pts, 10-22 fg, 8 reb, 3 stl)
• Sophie George (17 pts, 4 ast)
• Lauren Keller (15 pts, 5-10 fg, 5 reb)

How it Happened:

• The teams started the contest trading buckets with the Panthers edging Johnson 9-8 midway through the first quarter.
• A 6-0 run by the Badgers saw the visitors take their first lead, 14-12, with under three minutes to play in the first.
• NVU-Johnson maintained the two-point lead, closing out the opening quarter with an 18-16 advantage.
• Back-to-back three-pointers put the Panthers up, 26-22, with four-and-a-half minutes left until halftime.
• Both teams continued to trade buckets to close out the second, with PSU leading 34-32 at the break.
• NVU-Johnson regained the lead, 41-40, with 6:21 remaining in the third.
• The Panthers responded with a 15-4 run over the next three minutes to take a 54-45 lead, their largest of the game.
• The Badgers kept clawing back, scoring eight straight points to cut the deficit to 54-53 in the final ten seconds of the third.
• A buzzer-beater by senior Sarah Sweet (Narragansett, R.I.) closed out the quarter with the Panthers on top, 57-53.
• PSU extended its lead to 75-64 behind a 9-2 run with 2:30 left in regulation.
• Trailing by double-digits, the Badgers chose not to foul late as PSU closed out its first win of the year.

By the Numbers:

• PSU went 29-of-69 (42.0%) from the floor and 10-of-26 (38.5%) from distance, while holding the Badgers to 33.3% (24-of-72) shooting.
• Plymouth State held a 40-38 advantage on the boards.
• PSU led for 30 of the 40 minutes of play.
• The Panthers had assists on 17-of-29 field goals.
• Cook, George and Keller combined for 57 of the team's 77 points.
• Plymouth State improves to 10-1 all-time at home against NVU-Johnson.

Up Next:

• Plymouth State heads to Westfield State on Saturday (Nov. 12) for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.

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