WBB: Panthers held back by Wheaton, Stephens threatens blocks record

Jan 04, 2024

WBB: Panthers held back by Wheaton, Stephens threatens blocks record

 

NORTON, Mass. – Freshman Ashley Stephens (Pembroke, N.H.) finished one block shy of the school record, but a slow start doomed the Plymouth State University women's basketball team in a 51-32 setback at Wheaton College at Emerson Gymnasium on Thursday evening.

Stephens totaled five blocks, just one shy of the program record of six set in 1985. She added a team-high eight rebounds and two points in the effort.

Following the long layoff, points were hard to come by for the Panthers as Wheaton raced out to a 13-2 lead after the first quarter. The Panthers gained momentum to open the second with a couple of layups and PSU whittled the deficit down to 21-13 heading into halftime.

Graduate student Lea Crompton (Dunbarton, N.H.) and junior Bri Wilcox (Londonderry, N.H.) led the charge out of the break as Plymouth State pulled to within three, 21-18, two minutes into the third, but the hosts recovered and carried a double-digit advantage through the final buzzer.

Plymouth State dips to 5-4, while the Lyons bump up to 7-6.

 

The Basics:

  • Plymouth State 32, Wheaton 51
    • Plymouth State (5-4)
    • Wheaton (7-6)

Top Performers:

  • Bri Wilcox (6 pts, 3 reb)
  • Lea Crompton (6 pts, 4 reb)
  • Ashley Stephens (8 reb, 5 blk)
  • Sabrina Vlahovic (7 reb)

How it Happened:

  • Both defenses were stout in the first quarter, but Wheaton scored the first 13 points before PSU got on the board with a pair of free throws to make it 13-2 entering the second.
  • Crompton opened with a layup on PSU's first possession and followed with another to start to cut into the Lyons' lead.
  • PSU was able to bring the deficit to under ten points going into the second half after junior Alli Ingalls (Hampstead, N.H.) drained a three to make it 21-13.
  • Crompton and Wilcox teamed up to close the gap to three points with a pair of shots inside the paint, but the Lyons responded with the next ten points to restore their cushion.
  • Sophomore Hailey Malozzi (Maynard, Mass.) and Stephens sank jumpers to start the final frame, but it was not enough as Wheaton continued to pull away.
  • The Panthers closed out the game with sophomore Isabel Costa (Burrillville, R.I.) hitting from beyond the arc and freshman Marissa Kenison (Groveton, N.H.) adding a layup to account for the final score.

By the Numbers:

  • Stephens matched a game-high with eight rebounds and was one shy of the program record for blocks with five.
  • Ingalls and Costa drained the lone three-pointers for the Panthers.
  • Wheaton held a slight edge in points in the paint by an 18-16 margin.
  • PSU's reserves poured in 15 points.
  • The Panthers are 1-5 against Wheaton, with the last win coming in 2010.

 

Up Next:

  • Plymouth State hits the road for three straight Little East Conference (LEC) games starting Saturday (Jan. 6) with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Rhode Island College. The Anchorwomen are #3 in the latest D3hoops.com national poll and sit at #4 in this week's WBCA poll.

 

 

 

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