KEENE, N.H.--Matt Ozzella and Ty Nichols both posted double-doubles as the Keene State College men's basketball team won its third straight game with an 85-66 win over the University of Southern Maine at Spaulding Gym on Saturday afternoon.

Records

• Keene State: 9-4, 2-1 LEC
• Southern Maine: 5-8, 0-3 LEC

Quotables

• "Every day Coach preaches fast, up-tempo basketball, and today we really pushed the ball.  We started off with about 10 fast-break points - in practice we're running, running, running, and it's showing up in the games.  Conference games are the biggest games of the season because we want to host the LEC tournament."  -- Sophomore guard Ty Nichols.
• "I think overall we're playing really well.  It was important to get out to a fast start because in the last couple of game's we've given our opponents a little bit of confidence because of our approach and the way we've played.  We played at a high level to start the game and that was huge for us." -- Head Coach Ryan Cain

How It Happened

Keene State shot 52.5 percent (32-for-61) from the field, and never trailed in a resounding win.  Ozzella posted his ninth double-double of the year with 20 points and and 10 boards, with three steals for good measure.  Nichols poured in 27 points, shooting 11-for-16 from the field, hauled down 10 rebounds, and added four assists and three steals.  Lucas Hammel (12 points) and Jake Collagan (11 points) also hit double-figures to KSC.

For the third straight game, the Owls shut down their opponents' leading scorer.  USM's James Starks III entered the contest averaging 18.1 points per game, but managed just eight on 3-for-10 shooting form the field.  The Huskies' other leading scorer, Zach Leal, added 14 points, and junior Christian McCue led USM with 17 points.

The Owls scored the first seven points of the game, eventually opening up a 28-7 advantage over the first eight minutes of the contest.  Dizel Wright had two baskets in the opening minutes before the Huskies got on the board on Jalen Lincoln's three point play at the 17:11 mark.  Consecutive buckets by Ozzella and another from Wright made it 13-3, and Ozzella sandwiched a pair of threes around Collagan's jumper in the paint for a 21 point advantage.

USM scored 11 straight points, as Starks fed McCue for a jumper with 8:55 on the clock, and McCue drained a three with 5:23 left in the first half that trimmed the deficit to 35-23, but the Owls closed the half on a 12-6 run, capped by Nichols' layup as time ran out for a 47-29 lead at halftime.

The second half was more of the same, as KSC opened up a 51-29 lead on Nichols' layup early in the period.  USM pulled to within 13 (53-40) on Leal's layup at the 15:07 mark, as KSC pulled away, leading 85-64 on Jimmy Layman's three with 3:04 remaining.

In the Paint

• Keene State maintained their home dominance over the Huskies, having won 21 of the 22 meetings at Spaulding Gym, and improving to 35-6 all-time against USM.
• Nichols' 27 points were one short of his season high, set in the season opener against Southern Vermont, and two short of his career high, set last season against Middlebury.  Thet 10 rebounds were also a career high, making it his first career double-double.
• All but six points for KSC came from their starting lineup.  Keene State held a 46-36 edge in rebounding, forced 12 turnovers, and limited USM to 36.4% (24-for-66 shooting) from the floor.  USM also made just four of their 17 three point attempts. 

Up Next

• Keene State begins a slate of three straight LEC road games, starting with a trip to Western Connecticut State on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
• The Huskies will be at home to host Rhode Island College on January 11 at 7:30 p.m.