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(Courtesy of PSU Sports Information)

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Senior guard Ian Dempsey (Andover, Mass.) scored a game-high 20 points Wednesday evening as Plymouth State University knocked off the University of Southern Maine, 77-60, in Little East Conference men's basketball action at Foley Gymnasium.

            Dempsey made 8-of-14 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range, to lead a group of four Panthers who scored in double figures.  Senior forward Tom Dowd (Portsmouth, N.H.) and junior guard Brian Chergey (Bow, N.H.) added 13 points apiece for the winners, with Chergey also grabbing 10 rebounds to post his first career double-double.  Senior guard Ryan Lambert (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) chipped in with 12 points as the Panthers improved to 7-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

            Senior forward Otis Smith (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) scored 15 points and collected seven rebounds to lead the visitors.  Junior forward Sean Bergeron (Kennebunk, Maine) added 13 points and sophomore guard Alex Kee (Bath, Maine) contributed 10 points for the Huskies, who fell to 9-7 overall and 1-5 in the LEC.

            Plymouth State maintained a slight advantage throughout the first half, but USM hung around and kept the score close.  It was tied 22-all with six minutes to go in the half when PSU rattled off 10 straight points, four on a pair of buckets by Chergey, to open up a 10-point margin.  The Panthers went into the locker room with an 11-point cushion, 36-25.  Dowd scored all 13 of his points for PSU in the opening stanza.

            Dempsey and senior guard Matt Feehan (Nashua, N.H.) hit back-to-back threes to open the second half for PSU, and the Panthers maintained their double-digit margin throughout the final 20 minutes.  USM pulled to within 10 points a couple times around the 13-minute mark, but couldn't get the margin below 10 and PSU ran away with the comfortable margin.

            PSU shot 46 percent from the floor while holding USM to a 35 percent shooting clip.  The Panthers finished with a 46-35 advantage on the boards.

            Both teams are back on the court on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. for another LEC game.  PSU travels to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Southern Maine hosting Western Connecticut State University.

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