KEENE, N.H.--Senior Jaquel Edwards scored a career high 24 points to lead the No. 19 Keene State College men's basketball team to a 90-80 Little East Conference win over UMass Boston on Saturday at Spaulding Gym.

Records

• Keene State: 6-2, 1-1 LEC
• UMass Boston: 6-3, 1-1 LEC

Quotable

"It feels great that we got a team win today after losing two in a row.  We came together in the locker room and said we were going to come out play hard, and finish this game.  None of us quit."  -- Senior Jaquel Edwards

"I think we got some of our confidence back, some of our swagger back;  I think we were emotionally down and when we are, it's tough to sustain the way we want to play.  Different guys are going to step up for us.  Jake is a terrific offensive player and provided great energy for us." -- Head Coach Ryan Cain  

Tale of the Tape

• Edwards, who surpassed his previous career high by six points, connected on eight of 17 field goal attempts, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and made five of six shots from the charity stripe.  
• Edwards was one of five Owls in double-figures; Ty Nichols added 19 points and a career high nine assists, Matt Ozzella had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jake Collagan poured in a career high 15 points off the bench.  Dizel Wright added 15 points.
• Keene State made 30-of-59 field goal attempts (50.9%) and connected on 10-of-21 from downtown.
• Dan Powers led the Beacons with 17 points, while Sam Freeman chipped in with 15 and Careem Kirksey had 14.  Ty Lee and Neil Cesar both added 10 points.  Powers also pulled down a team high 10 boards as the Beacons outrebounded KSC 43-36.
• The Owls ended a two game losing skid with the win, while simultaneously ending a three game streak for the Beacons.

First Half Highlights

• Ozzella converted a conventional three point play for a 10-7 KSC lead in the early going, but the Beacons responded with a 16-1 run for a 23-11 lead.  Powers scored five pionts, starting the run with a three, and Neil Cesar drained another three pointer before Wright and Edwards scored five straight points to cut the lead to 23-16.
• The Owls, meanwhile, could not get anything going, missing eight straight field goal attempts as the Beacons surged in front.
• UMass Boston took their biggest lead of the half at 33-20 when Freeman made good on a three point play with 2:14 to go, only to see Collagan feed Jimmy Layman for a basket on the Owls' next possession, and Ozzella knocked down a three with 1:30 on the clock to cut it to 33-25.
• Collagan then made a three just ahead of the first half buzzer to trim the lead to 33-28 at the break.

 Second Half Highlights

• The offense that was missing for part of the first half was found in the second; Keene State made seven of their first eight shots over the first 3:41 of the period to take a 45-41 lead.  Nichols had a jumper, then found Ozzella down low for a basket.  Ozzella then picked the pocket of Powers for a coast-to-coast hoop, and Nichols and Edwards both made three pointers as KSC led for the first time in the second half.
• Collagan weaved through traffic for a layup with 13:34 left to give KSC a 53-45 lead, but Alex Sanchez connected on a three point play that cut it to 54-50 with 11:57 remaining.
• Collagan again had the answer, making two more threes or a 62-54 lead, and Nichols' steal and breakaway dunk gave the Owls a 70-60 advantage.
• Freeman made a pair of free throws with 5:55 left that pulled UMass Boston within four (72-68), but they could not get closer, as Ozzella drained a three from the right wing and Wright's layup put the Owls up 84-75 with 2:04 left.
• KSC then went 6-for-6 from the line down the stretch to seal it.

Up Next

• Keene State is off until December 28, when the Owls travel to WPI for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
• The Beacons play one final time before the holidays, hosting Suffolk University on December 13 at 7 p.m.