KSC Puts Five in Double-Figures For Third Time in Last Four Games, Improves to 5-1

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Keene State College men's basketball game made it a strong start after the quick Thanksgiving turnaround, shooting a season-best 58 percent from the field as they rolled to a 92-74 blowout of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at the Rockwell Cage.

Records

• Keene State:  5-1
• MIT:  4-3

How It Happened
The Owls trailed for less than a minute in the game, built a 17-point lead in the first half, and then pulled away again after the Engineers got as close as six with 16:53 left as they snapped MIT's three-game winning streak and gave them their first home loss of the season while dominating most statistical categories.  KSC once again featured a balanced, efficient offensive attack with Jeff Hunter and James Anozie combining for 37 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, and four blocks.  Nate Siow had his best showing of the season with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, six assists, four steals, and four rebounds, while Mason Jean Baptiste was once again in double-digits with 15 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 3-PT).  Octavio Brito rounded out the double-figure scorers by scoring 11.  Even shooting 58 percent, Keene State still controlled the glass 34-22 including 11-5 on the offensive end.  The Owls got to the basket with ease, including seven layups in a five minute span that helped turn a 43-37 lead into a 61-48 edge with 11:43 to go, after which the Engineers were never within single-digits again.  Alex Cho led MIT with 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and had six assists and four steals.  Ian Hinkley added 14 and Dan Pilsbury 10, but the Engineers were outscored 56-40 in the paint, 23-15 off turnovers, and 14-6 in second chances.

MIT led just twice – 7-5 at the 14:33 mark of the first half and 15-14 three minutes later – before the Owls took over for most of the rest of the game.  Hunter, Brito and Anozie sparked an 11-0 run after their last deficit to put KSC in front 26-15 with 7:27 left in the half.  Cho hit back with five in a row to get his team within six and then his jumper with 4:42 to go had MIT within 29-26, but the Owls answered with a run of 14 consecutive points in less than three minutes to quickly build a game-high 17-point lead on Jean Baptiste's trey at the 1:55 mark.  KSC shot 55 percent (17-for-31) in the opening 20 minutes and led 43-32 at the break, the fourth time in six games they have led by double-digits at halftime.

Keene State did not score for over three minutes to start the second half, allowing MIT to claw within six again on a three by Cho and layup by Dan Pilsbury, but the Owls came to life again with a 9-3 burst in just 1:17 to double their advantage (52-40).  Siow showed off his speed and defense in that stretch, stealing the ball from Charles Rich and Kade Killeen on consecutive possessions that resulted in transition opportunities for the Owls.  Siow had 13 of his points in the second half, made five of his seven shots, and had four assists and three steals to help KSC run away with the win.  Hunter was also in double-figures in the half with 11, and scored seven Owl points in a row including a three-point play with 11:43 remaining for a 13-point edge (61-48).  Two more three-point plays over the next two minutes from Anozie and Siow bumped the lead to 69-53, and KSC went up 73-59 on Siow's layup with 7:33 to go.  The Owl offense never slowed as the second half went on, with Jean Baptiste netting five in 1:08 to make it a 19-point lead (83-64) at the 3:27 mark.  KSC led by as many as 20 and shot 61 percent (19-for-31) in the final 20 minutes, assisting on 10 of their 19 field goals.  MIT got 16 points from Cho in the half and shot 59 percent themselves, but were beaten on the glass 16-10 in the period including 6-2 on the offensive end as KSC got several of their rare misses back.

Hunter had 19 points (9-13 FG) and nine rebounds, while Anozie had an 18 point, 10 rebound double-double, his first of the season.  He has 34 points on 12-of-23 shooting and 18 rebounds in his last two games (Middlebury, MIT).

Inside the Paint

• The teams have split four all-time meetings, with the road team winning each one.  KSC also won in Cambridge after Thanksgiving in November of 2017, a 67-63 decision.
• Jean Baptiste is shooting 48.8 percent (20-for-41) from three-point range this season, second in the Little East Conference behind Jake Ashworth (49 percent) of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.  Hunter has made 65 percent (44-for-68) from the field on the season, third in the conference in that category but also the most efficient given the number of field goals attempted.
• Siow's 18 points were one shy of matching his career-high set last February against Rhode Island College, but his 7-for-10 effort from the floor is the most efficient of his young career.  He also has 13 steals in the last four games.

Up Next

• Keene State opens Little East Conference play next Saturday at home against the University of Southern Maine (3-4) at 3:00 p.m.
• MIT travels to Salem State University (4-2) for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, December 1.