GALLOWAY, N.J.--Matt Ozzella's free throw with three seconds left in overtime gave the Keene State College men's basketball team a 72-71 win over Stockton University in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night.

Records

• Keene State: 19-10
• Stockton: 21-7

Up Next

• The Owls will play Middlebury College on Saturday night at 7 p.m.  The Panthers reached the round of 32 with a 75-73 win over Salisbury University earlier tonight.  Keene State and Middlebury have already met once this season, with the Panthers scoring an 83-74 win over KSC on February 2. 

Tale of the Tape

• Ozzella led Keene State with 18 points, while Nate Stitchell had 15 and Ty Nichols had 13.  Nate Howard added nine points, 14 rebounds, and six blocked shots.
• Both teams struggled from long range, with Keene State shooting 3-for-19 and the Ospreys making just two of 22 shots from behind the arc.  Keene State was 27-for-34 from the free throw line, while Stockton was 21-30.
• Jaymere Hadden had a game high 22 points for Stockton.  Also in double-figures for the Ospreys were Maurice Hart, who added 18 points off the bench, and Marcus Harmon, who chipped in 13.
• This is the first NCAA win for Keene State since 2007, when the Owls defeated Rivier and Salem State before falling to LEC opponent Rhode Island College in the round of 16.

How it Ended

• Keene State was down 61-57 with 1:18 left in regulation, but Nichols converted a three point play to get Keene State within one, and after the Ospreys turned it over, Stitchell laid it in for a 62-61 lead.
• Nichols was fouled and went 1-for-2 from the line, but Hadden's layup tied the score at 63 with 11 seconds to go and the Owls shot as time expired did not fall.
• Keene State opened overtime on a 6-2 run, opening up a 69-65 lead on Ozzella's layin with 3:30 to go.  Hadden responded with a three pointer on the next Stockton possession, and Harmon made a free throw with 1:41 left for a 71-69 lead.
• After a change of possession, Hart fouled Nichols with 17 seconds left, and the freshman swished both free throws to tie the game.  
• Howard swatted away Harmon's jumper with five seconds left, and Ozzella grabbed the rebound.  Hadden inexpliably fouled with three seconds left, and though he missed the first, Ozzella nailed the second.
• Nichols tipped away Tom Catanoso's shot as time expired to give Keene State the win.

Highlights

• The game was back-and-forth for much of the first half, until the Owls ended the frame on a 7-0 run as Stitchell, then Tre' Tipton knocked down three pointers.  Tipton's shot just beat the buzzer to give KSC a 37-29 lead at halftime.
• The Owls stretched the lead to 50-39 with 13:01 left in regulation, but Stockton slowly chipped away with a 15-4 run over the next nine minutes, tying the game at 54 on Hadden's putback slam.
• Hart's jumper with 2:45 left gave the Ospreys a four point lead, but Nichols' cool free throw shooting put the Owls back in it.