Box Score
MEDFORD - The Plymouth State Panthers out-scored host Tufts University 10-4 in overtime to take a 79-73 victory in non-league men's basketball action at Cousens Gym on Tuesday night.
The Panthers, who trailed for most of the first half, came back and led by as many as 11 points in the second half. They were up 65-57 with 4:22 remaining in regulation. However, the Jumbos worked down the lead and tied the score at 69-69 on a three-pointer by junior Alex Goldfarb (New York, NY) with 14 seconds remaining. Plymouth had two good looks in the closing seconds to win it, but they didn't fall and the game went to OT.
After coming from behind in the first half, the Panthers never trailed again. In overtime, a layup by senior Jesse Sabolis (Stoughton, MA) and a three-pointer by senior Brian Chergey (Box, NH) put them up 74-69 at the three-minute mark. Tufts pulled to within 74-71 on a jumper by sophomore guard Kwame Firempong (Inglewood, CA) with a minute remaining, but would get no closer. With a jumper in the lane by Petey Skevas (Wethersfield, CT) at 0:55, the Panthers held a two-possession lead until the buzzer.
The Jumbos led 26-20 early, and were up 31-26 after a layup by junior tri-captain Scott Anderson (Sudbury, MA) at 5:28 of the first half. The Panthers closed the half with a 14-4 run and led 40-35 at the break. Sabolis and senior Kyle Walker (Brooklyn, NY) had two baskets apiece as the visitors finished the first half strong.
Plymouth shot 51.4 percent (18/35) for the first 20 minutes, while Tufts was at 31 percent (13/42). Ten points by Skevas and 12 by Anderson led their respective teams at intermission.
The Panthers added to their lead in the second half and were up 54-43 following a layup by junior Stephan Roberts (Kissimmee, FL) with 12:49 to play. The Jumbos came back with an 11-2 surge and were within 58-57 on a pair of free throws by Firempong at 6:59. Plymouth was able to keep the lead for the moment, and went back ahead 65-57 on freshman Shomari Morgan's (Manchester, NH) layup at 4:22. But Firempong and senior Alex Orchowski (Cornwall, NY) combined for all the Tufts points in a 9-2 run that brought the Jumbos to within 67-66 with 57 seconds remaining.
After a Plymouth miss and the rebound by Jumbo senior tri-captain James Long (Norwell, MA), Tufts had the ball with a chance to take their first lead since the first half. However, Sabolis had a steal and a dunk on the play to give Plymouth a 69-66 margin. After a time-out, Goldfarb could not have been more open for his three-point attempt that he drained to tie the score at 69-69. However, the Jumbos would ultimately never get the lead.
Plymouth finished with five players scoring in double digits, led by 16 from Skevas. Sabolis had 15, while sophomore Mark MacGregor (Rochester, NH) contributed a double-double with 12 and 11. Roberts posted 10 and 8, while Walker added four assists to his 12 points. Plymouth shot 46.5 percent (33/71) overall.
Orchowski had game-highs with 17 points and 12 rebounds for Tufts. Anderson went for 14 points with eight rebounds, while Goldfarb hit three threes and scored 13 points. Firempong, who did not start due to an exam, had 12 points in 14 minutes. Tufts shot poorly, with 36.7 percent (29/79) from the field, 15.8 percent from threes (3/19) and 57.1 percent (12/21) from the line.
Tufts dropped to 6-2 and lost a four-game winning streak. They close the first semester at home against MIT on Saturday at 2 pm. Plymouth (3-4) won for the first time in four games and hosts Lyndon State on Thursday at 7:30 pm.
Game statistics
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