For Immediate Release

                                                                                          January 28, 2006

                                                                                          Contact:  Kent Cherrington, SID

PSU Women’s Hoop edges RIC in overtime

MacDonald provides heroics for Panthers

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Sophomore guard Meghan MacDonald (Salem, N.H.) hit key shots at the end of regulation and the extra period Saturday afternoon, finishing with a team-high 17 points and leading Plymouth State University to a dramatic 67-65 overtime victory over Rhode Island College in a Little East Conference women’s basketball game at Foley Gymnasium.

            MacDonald converted a conventional three-point play at the end of regulation, making a running lay-up and the pressure free throw with three seconds left to force overtime.  She then drained the two winning free throws with 11 seconds left in the extra session.  Both teams are now 8-10 overall, while PSU is 4-5 in league play and RIC dropped to 1-8.

            After MacDonald tied the game at 57-57 with three seconds left in regulation, RIC senior Jamie Angell (Cranston, R.I.) heaved up a 50-footer from beyond half court that went in and nearly stunned everyone, but the potential game-winning shot was ruled to have been taken after the buzzer sounded.

            MacDonald was one of two players to score in double figures for the Panthers, as junior Colleen Mahoney (North Attleboro, Mass.) added 13 points.

            Angel led the Anchorwomen with a game-high 21 points, hitting 7-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-8 from three-point range.  Sophomore Colleen Feeney (Providence, R.I.) added 19 points and eight rebounds, and junior Kari Geisler (Deerfield, N.H.) finished with a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.  Those three combined for 54 of RIC’s 65 points.

            RIC had the early advantage, racing to a 16-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game.  PSU chipped away at the deficit, pulling to within four points late in the half and trailing by four at the break, 28-24.

            The Panthers tied the game at 44-all with eight minutes remaining in the second half, but RIC didn’t relinquish the lead.  The Anchorwomen went back up by six and maintained the advantage until MacDonald’s three-point play at the end of regulation.  PSU took its first lead of the game midway through the overtime, but it was tied in the final seconds when MacDonald hit the winning free throws.

            PSU shot only 36 percent from the floor, 45 percent from the free throw line and got out-rebounded 47-37, but the Anchorwomen hurt themselves with 31 turnovers.

            The Panthers play their next four games on the road over the next two weeks, beginning Tuesday with a non-conference game at Newbury (5:00 p.m.)  RIC returns to action Tuesday with a non-conference game at Mitchell College (7:00 p.m.)

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