The Colonials would be the answer when asked which team won the contest, 135-130 in double overtime. Answering, or even taking a logical guess of, Plymouth State’s Nick Pelotte (Bingham, ME) to question two would get you through to the next round. Of course the question would be… who scored 62 points and dished out 13 assists and was named LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2005.
Pelotte netted the “assumed” LEC Tournament record after shooting 20 of 36 from the floor, nine of 16 from three-point land and 13 of 17 from the charity stripe in 49 minutes. His point total breaks the Panthers’ school record for points in game. The previous mark of 53 was set by Moses Jean-Pierre vs. Southern Maine, January 28, 1993.
The Colonials, 23-4, survived the most thrilling game to ever be played at WestConn’s O’Neill Center Saturday afternoon and earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. It will be their 10th trip to the post-season affair. Their last appearance came in 2003 after capturing the LEC crown with a 65-63 victory over the Panthers.
Plymouth State led by as many as nine points, 98-89 with 4:36 left in regulation when Pelotte canned two free throws.
Western’s senior guard Jay Reginatto (Torrington, CT) put his team squarely on his shoulders at the end of regulation, burying two clutch three pointers in the final 1:32. His final long-ranch bucket came with 21 seconds remaining to tie the game at 108-108 after 40 minutes.
Reginatto finished with 31 points for the Colonials.
After the Panthers, 19-9, took a five-point advantage, 120-115, on two freebies from Pelotte with 32 ticks remaining in the first overtime, Colonials’ senior sharp shooter Greg Cole (Terrytown, NY) buried a three pointer with 11 second remaining in the first extra frame to knot the game at 120-120, 21 seconds later. He first had to track down his own missed three on the right arch before the heroic launch.
After the game’s 11th tie, set up by a Pelotte three, 125-125, WestConn went on a 8-3 run capped off by Kyle Norfleet (Waterbury, CT) hitting the front end of a two-shot foul.
Plymouth drew within three points, 133-130 on a lay in by, who else, Pelotte with 22 seconds remaining.
Following their final time out and with Pelotte on the bench with four fouls and an obvious immediate foul situation, Jay Boyle (Woburn, MA) stole Jeff Gene’s (Bridgeport, CT) inbound pass but immediately gave the ball away to Cole.
Cole raced the length of the court and finished off “his” overtime with a thunderous dunk for a team-high 36th points and what proved to the final.
Pelotte penetrated to the hoop but dished off to Boyle for a three-point attempt at the buzzer that caromed off the back of the rim.
Brice Assie (Bridgeport, CT) finished with 24 points for WestConn.
Jason Barnett (Windsor, CT) reached double figures with 10 points and collected a game-high 14 rebounds for the Colonials.
Kimani Crawford (West Hartford, CT) and Gene added 13 points apiece to the Colonials highest offensive output since joining the Little East Conference for the 1993-94 season.
Since that season, WestConn has won gone 22-7 in tournament play and now has won five titles.
Plymouth State’s Andreas Pope (Brooklyn, NY) had 24 points on 11 of 12 shooting from the floor before being forced from the game with an ankle injury with 3:35 left in the first overtime.
Kevin Boutilier (North Andover, MA) and Charles Gaddy (Hartford, CT) chipped in 13 apiece.
The Panthers await their post-season fate. Seven Pool C bids are up for grabs for the NCAAs’ selection committee to pass out on Sunday evening. If they miss out on the “Big Dance”, an ECAC berth will surely follow.
NOTE: Pelotte’s scoring record of 62 points in a LEC Tournament game is assumed because word out of the league’s office is that most of the basketball records from the conference were destroyed in a fire a few years back.
Newspaper Box Score Plymouth State vs Western Connecticut 02/26/05 3 p.m. at Danbury, Conn. Feldman Arena At Danbury, Conn. Feldman Arena WESTERN CONNECTICUT 135, PLYMOUTH STATE 130 PLYMOUTH STATE (19-9) Nick Pelotte 20-36 13-17 62; Andreas Pope 11-12 2-4 24; Charles Gaddy 6-7 1-2 13; Kevin Boutilier 5-7 3-6 13; Mark Dunham 3-9 0-0 8; Mike Walcek 2-4 1-2 6; Peter Hutchins 2-5 0-0 4; Jay Boyle 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 49-81 20-31 130. WESTERN CONNECTICUT (23-4) Greg Cole 14-23 0-0 36; Jay Reginatto 10-23 3-4 31; Brice Assie 9-15 6-11 24; Jeff Gene 5-7 3-5 13; Kimani Crawford 5-14 3-6 13; Jason Barnett 4-9 2-4 10; Kyle Norfleet 1-5 2-4 4; Andrew Snell 1-2 0-0 2; Lamar White 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 50-99 19-34 135. Plymouth State................ 47 61 12 10 - 130 Western Connecticut........... 48 60 12 15 - 135 3-point goals-Plymouth State 12-27 (Nick Pelotte 9-16; Mark Dunham 2-7; Mike Walcek 1-3; Jay Boyle 0-1), Western Connecticut 16-30 (Greg Cole 8-14; Jay Reginatto 8-13; Kyle Norfleet 0-2; Andrew Snell 0-1). Fouled out--Plymouth State-Kevin Boutilier, Western Connecticut-Brice Assie; Jay Reginatto. Rebounds-Plymouth State 42 (Charles Gaddy 11), Western Connecticut 54 (Jason Barnett 14). Assists-Plymouth State 28 (Nick Pelotte 13), Western Connecticut 30 (Jeff Gene 8). Total fouls-Plymouth State 24, Western Connecticut 25. A-1003 2005 Little East Conference Men's Basketball - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Most Outstanding Player: Nick Pelotte - Plymouth State University