Pelotte scored nine points over his conference-leading average for the conference-leading Panthers (16-5, 8-2 little east), finishing with a game-high 34 points to go along with six assists; Pope, tied for second in the conference in scoring (18.4) and second in field goal percentage (62.1) and first in rebounding (9.7), had 24 points on 10-for-15 field goal shooting, a game-high 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocked shot.
Eastern (5-12, 2-7 little east), which has lost ten straight to Plymouth, engineered an amazing reversal by outscoring Plymouth 26-2 over seven minutes to turn an early 15-point deficit into a nine-point, 34-25 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half.
Plymouth rebounded, however, running off ten straight points of its own to regain a one-point, 35-34 lead with 4:30 left in the first half. The Panthers used another scoring burst – outscoring the Warriors 10-1 to build a 14-point, 64-50 lead seven minutes into the second half. Eastern got as close as five thereafter, at which time Pelotte nailed one of his five three-point field goals. Pope then grabbed a rebound of an Eastern miss and fed Pelotte to make it 79-69 with just over six minutes left.
First-year sophomore forward Leon Martin (WOODBURY) scored a career-high 20 points – eight more than his previous best – to lead a balanced Eastern attack. First-year sophomore guard Geoffrey Richardson (HARTFORD) added 18 points – one shy of his career-high – while senior guard Mike Bartunek (DURHAM) had a career-high 15 points off the bench and career-high five three-point field goals. Senior forward Jeroy Smith (NEW HAVEN) had his fourth double-double of the season with ten points and ten rebounds. Sophomore guard Matt Albon (MIDDLEBURY) added ten points. Martin followed Smith with eight rebounds but the Warriors were out-rebounded by 12. Bartunek has made 20 three-pointers in the last seven games.
The conference leader in scoring (88.0 ppg.) and field goal percentage (50.3), Plymouth shot 56.6 per cent from the floor, 60.0 per cent in the second half and outscored Eastern by 14 from the free-throw line.
Ranked eighth in the conference in scoring, Eastern amassed 16 points more than its season’s average.
Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.