PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 1:42 to break the sixth and final tie in what was a close contest throughout, and the Keene State College women's basketball team wound up falling to the Panthers 54-51 in the second night of a previously unscheduled back-to-back in Little East Conference action Thursday at Foley Gymnasium.

Records

• Keene State:  9-10, 5-6 LEC
• Plymouth State:  9-10, 5-6 LEC

How It Happened
Bidding for their fourth consecutive win and a firm grasp on at least the No. 5 seed if not higher, the Owls held Plymouth to just 16 points over the middle two quarters to help turn what was a 20-18 deficit after one into a 42-36 lead through three, but they ran out of gas at the end, shooting 3-for-18 from the field in the final quarter and missing all six threes they attempted as they lost to PSU for the first time in eight meetings and just the 14th time since joining the LEC in 1997.  Plymouth opened the fourth with eight straight points in a 3:24 span to take a 44-42 lead on Ashley Stephens' layup and never trailed again, though Keene State tied the game three times after that and had chances, but could not convert enough against a Panther team that had a league bye on Wednesday night while the Owls beat Vermont State University Castleton 55-46 at home.  The final deadlock came at 48-48 with 2:05 left after Brynn Rautiola made a pair of free throws, but two from the line for Lauren Keller after an offensive rebound 20 seconds later put PSU back in front.  KSC misfired on a three that would have given them the lead on the next possession, but the Panthers did the same with a minute to go as the Owls got the ball back with another chance and less than a minute to go.  This time, though, they could not convert inside and then were forced to foul, where Leah Crompton made two free throws for a 52-48 edge with 27 seconds to go.  Rautiola converted an old-fashioned three-point play 13 ticks later to keep the Owls very much in it at 52-51, though Crompton then made two free throws for a three-point lead.  Keene State's final chance to tie fell by the wayside when Rautiola's three did not go down, and the Panthers prevailed despite shooting 5-for-25 across the second and third quarters and turning the ball over 20 times overall.

Plymouth canned three triples in less than three minutes to start the night as the Owls fell into a 9-0 deficit, but they answered with 10 of the next 12 points to get right back within one with 3:38 to go in the first quarter as Rautiola and Angel Pillsbury each connected from distance.  KSC eventually tied the game at 18 in the final minute of the period after Luizzi made three free throws after being fouled shooting from beyond the arc.

The Panthers scored the final basket of the opening period and then seemed well in control as halftime approached, outscoring KSC 7-1 over nearly seven minutes in the second quarter to go in front 27-19, but it was all Owls over the final 2:45, ending on a 12-0 burst to take a four-point (31-27) lead to the locker room.  Rautiola had a three and made all four free throws in that span, and Pillsbury again buried a shot from beyond the arc to help fuel the uprising.

Another run helped KSC gain separation in the third, as after Plymouth scored the first four for a 31-31 tie, the Owls hit back with seven straight including a three by Avery Stewart and buckets for Lilly Krysinski and Luizzi for a 38-31 lead at the 3:47 mark.  KSC led by seven, their largest, 47 seconds later, and eventually carried a six-point advantage after a pair of Rautiola free throws in the final seconds of the quarter.  However, after a 5-for-14 start from three in the first half, the Owls were just 1-for-11 after halftime.

Rautiola paced KSC with 23 points including a 10-for-11 mark at the foul line.  She added seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist.  Luizzi had nine points and nine rebounds, and Krysinski added eight points and seven boards.  Pillsbury had six points.

Plymouth was led by 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting (2-5 3-PT) from Brianna Wilcox.  Stephens added 10 points (5-10 FG) and seven boards, while Crompton had six assists.  PSU had 11 players see action, while KSC had just six players available for a game that was originally scheduled for December 6.  The two teams had played just eight days ago, a 61-51 KSC win in Keene.

Inside the Paint

• KSC is 45-14 in the series since 1997.
• Rautiola has scored 20 or more points in 11 of her first 19 games (58 percent).  She is shooting 86.5 percent (96-111) from the foul line, and the Owls as a team are shooting eight percentage points (70.6) better than their opponents from the charity stripe.
• Keene State has held each of their last four opponents to 36 percent shooting or worse.

Up Next

• The Owls play their third game in four days Saturday at the University of Massachusetts-Boston (4-15, 2-10 LEC).  Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m.
• Plymouth State hosts first place and No. 3 Rhode Island College (21-0, 12-0 LEC) on the same day (1:00 p.m.).  The Anchorwomen won the first meeting 72-25, and have taken 12 straight in the series.