KEENE, N.H. 1/18/05- Bri Barnes (Merrimack, N.H.) scored 16 points and Sarah Begnoche (Millville, Mass.) finished with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds as Keene State College overcame a sluggish first half to post a 80-58 Little East Conference victory over rival Plymouth State University Tuesday night at Spaulding Gym.

Keene State improves to 10-5 (4-2 LEC) while Plymouth State (5-9, 3-3 LEC) saw its two game winning streak come to an end.

Plymouth State took its largest lead in the first half (24-15) on a basket by Ashley White (Merrimack, N.H.) at the 6:20 mark. KSC came back to tie the game 35-all at the break. Barnes, who had 14 first half points, buried a three-point shot in the closing seconds of the half. The Panthers had a decided 32-14 edge in rebounds in the first half.

It was a different story for Keene State in the second half. Taking their first lead (40-37) on a three-pointer by Bekka Hopkins (Oxford, Mass.) three minutes into the half, the Owls later put the game a way with a 12-2 run to take a 18 point (62-44) lead. Mary Crawford (Mount Holly, Vt.) began the run with a three-pointer, and Hopkins closed it with three of four free throws after the Panther bench was hit with a pair of technical fouls.

Hopkins had 12 points, Stacey Morse (Lebanon, N.H.) added 11 points, and Crawford finished with 10 points to round out the double-figure scorers for KSC.

Lauren Devereaux (Hope Valley, R.I.) had 12 points and eight rebounds and Joy DePalo (Enfield, N.H.) finished with 11 points to lead the Panthers.

Keene State travels to UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday. PSU will be at R.I. College.