By: KJ Cardinal
NASHUA, N.H. — Plymouth State broke open a tight first quarter with a massive 21–1 run and never trailed again, rolling past Rivier 68–56 on Tuesday evening at the Muldoon Center.
Rivier (0–7) opened strong and built a 17–11 advantage, but Plymouth State (6–1) seized momentum late in the frame behind back-to-back threes, including a buzzer-beater from Macy Swormstedt (Laconia, N.H. / Laconia) to tie the game at 17–17.
The Panthers erupted from there, unleashing a dominant 21–1 run that stretched the lead to 32–18 with 4:12 left in the second quarter. Ten different players contributed in the run as PSU’s pressure, transition pace and depth overwhelmed the Raiders.
Ashley Stephens (Pembroke, N.H. / Pembroke Academy) paced Plymouth State with 14 points and five rebounds, attacking downhill and generating frequent trips to the line. Swormstedt added nine points, six assists and five boards, while Hailey Malozzi, Alex White (Derry, N.H. / Proctor Academy) and Genna Bolduc (Dover, N.H. / St. Thomas Aquinas) combined for 26 points. Torle Adumene (Manchester, N.H. / Manchester Memorial) chipped in six points and three rebounds off the bench.
Plymouth State controlled the glass 39–33, produced 27 bench points, and held Rivier to just six second-quarter points and 12 in the third to maintain full command.
Rivier was led by a standout performance from Sydney Perry, who posted 21 points and 11 rebounds. Madi Ricker (Farmington, N.H. / Farmington) added 17 points, hitting three triples, and Gianna Donato chipped in 12.
Plymouth State improves to 6–1 behind balanced scoring, strong rotations and a dominant mid-half answer to Rivier’s early surge.
Check out the full photo gallery of the action by KJ Cardinal…
