Plymouth State raced out to a 17-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game and never looked back, leading by 33 points at the half and by as much as 39 points in winning its opening contest of the 2004-05 campaign. Centenary dropped to 0-1 on the year despite 24 points from junior guard Andre Harris (Morristown, N.J.).
Pelotte, who also registered five assists, was 8-of-14 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free throw line for the Panthers. Dunham, who is playing for PSU for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, was 7-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-6 from three-point range, while sophomore forward Andreas Pope (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tallied 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Freshman forward John Belcher (Hamden, Conn.) also scored in double figures for the Panthers, contributing 11 points in just five minutes in his collegiate debut.
Harris had a game-high five steals for the Cyclones, while also adding three rebounds and three assists. Following him on the Centenary scoring scroll were senior guard Brian Sherlock (Franklin, NJ) with 18 points and sophomore center Stephen McNamara (Oak Ridge, NJ) with 17 points plus a team-best four assists. Senior forward Kelvin Kennedy (Paterson, NJ) paced Centenary with seven rebounds.
The head coach of Centenary is Andy DeStephano, who was Plymouth State’s assistant coach last season.
The Classic continues tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at MSU's Panzer Gymnasium when Plymouth State takes on host Montclair State University in the Red Hawks' 2004-05 season opener. The tournament then closes on Sunday when MSU hosts Centenary at 3:00 p.m.
(Courtesy of Montclair State Sports Information)
-- 30 --