KEENE, N.H.--Junior Ty Nichols scored 22 points and had a career high 10 assists as the Keene State College men's basketball team won its fifth straight game with a 78-67 takedown of Albertus Magnus College at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.

Records

• Keene State: 6-2
• Abertus Magnus: 3-2

How it Happened

Nichols reached the 20 point mark for the third time in four games, making eight of 15 shots from the floor with 10 assists, three rebounds, and two steals.  He was joined in double figures by teammates Sidi Diallo and James Anozie, who each scored 12 points, as well as 11 points from DeVon Beasley and 10 from Dizel Wright.

The Owls withstood a titanic effort from AMC senior forward Jaqhwan Walters.  The nation's 11th leading scorer showed why, scoring a career high 40 points on 16-22 shooting and 8-for-11 from the foul line and grabbing 14 rebounds.   The rest of the team combined for just 27 points; junior Mason Jones came in averaging a hair under 20 points per game, but was held scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in just 15 minutes of action.

Threes from Beasley and Nichols gave Keene State a 19-9 lead, but the Falcons exploded for 12 straight points, taking a 21-19 lead on Walters' basket at the 8:30 mark.  The Owls called timeout, and immediately tied the game when Nichols found Anozie down low for a basket.  Another basket from Anozie with 5:31 left in the half gave KSC a 31-27 lead, and Beasley fed Diallo for a layup and a 41-34 advantage with 1:15 to go, a lead the Owls eventually carried into the break.

Keene State opened up the second half on an 11-0 run, capped by Nichols' steal and fastbreak layup, and Keene upped the lead to 56-40 when Jake Dunkley grabbed his own miss and laid it up and in with 14:18 to go.  A layup from Diallo at the 10:14 mark gave Keene State its biggest lead of the contest (68-46).  Walters kept the Falcons in it, as his basket with 6:04 left cut the lead to 11, but the Falcons could not get the lead below double-digits the rest of the way.

In the Paint

• Keene State shot a sizzling 53.4% from the floor, and held a 40-31 edge on the glass.  Wright led the Owls with seven rebounds.
• Nichols now has 1,124 points in his career, moving past Wally Markham '67 for 25th place on the Owls' all-time scoring list.  His 10 assists passed a career high of nine, done against both Eastern Connecticut State and Ramapo last season.
• This was the first ever meeting between the schools.

Up Next

• Keene State closes out the semester with an LEC contest against the University of Southern Maine on Saturday, December 9, at 3 p.m.
• The Falcons travel to Mitchell College on Thursday night, with a 6 p.m. tip scheduled.