KSC Shines in Final Home Contest of Semester, Improves to 6-1 With Fifth Double-Digit Win

KEENE, N.H. – Nate Siow exploded for 20 points in the first half and the Keene State College men's basketball team ultimately had 13 different players score in the game as they built a 56-16 halftime lead in an eventual 101-53 pounding of the University of Southern Maine in the Little East Conference opener for both teams at Spaulding Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

Records

• Keene State:  6-1, 1-0 LEC
• Southern Maine:  5-5, 0-1 LEC

How It Happened
Playing for the first time since last Saturday's 92-74 win at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Owls showed no signs of any rust, as they led by 20 points (24-4) less than eight minutes into the game en route to their biggest win in series history over the Huskies, who entered with victories in back-to-back games this week against St. Joseph's College (Maine) and at Colby College but were handed their seventh consecutive double-digit loss in Keene.  Siow played 22 minutes in the game, 18 of which came in the opening half, and put together another impressive showing with 22 points (9-12 FG, 2-3 3-PT), five assists, four rebounds, and four steals.  He routinely knifed through Southern Maine's defense, including on KSC's very first possession, and then hit consecutive threes on back-to-back trips to put the Owls in front 19-4 at the 14:21 mark of the opening half.  The sophomore point guard then added two free throws for an 8-0 personal run as Keene State was well on their way from there in the first game of a busy stretch that sees them play five games (including an exhibition game at Division I University of New Hampshire) between now and December 13.  Southern Maine did not reach eight points as a team until 11:02 was left in the first half and was held to an 8-for-26 (31 percent) shooting mark in the period.  They came in a 46.7 percent shooting team overall, second in the conference behind only the Owls, and had made 37.9 percent of their threes (also second in the league), but KSC swarmed them and held them to a 39 percent showing from the field and 6-for-21 from three-point range.  Behind 10 boards from Jeric Cichon, Keene State also controlled the glass 44-25 including 14-2 on the offensive end.  Jeff Hunter finished with an efficient 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, making both of his triples, and eight rebounds, while Octavio Brito was also in double-figures with 14 points (6-11 FG).  KSC shot 54 percent overall, including a 58 percent clip in a second half where head coach Ryan Cain got 15 different players action.

Keene State was unrelenting all day, as Southern Maine never scored more than two consecutive points in the entire first half while the lead expanded by the minute, reaching 35-12 on Hunter's trey off a feed from Siow with 6:32 left and eventually 30 (42-12) on Brito's bucket and free throw two minutes later.  The Owls scored the final seven of the half for good measure, as Siow and James Anozie scored inside in the final minute before Mason Jean Baptiste's deep buzzer-beating three – his first points of the half – put KSC in front 56-16.  Jean Baptiste and Hunter scored on consecutive trips in the first minute of the second half, which was much more of the same, as the Owls added 11 more points to their advantage in 4:49, a span that included a nice alley-oop pass from Jean Baptiste to Hunter who flushed it home.  KSC forced seven turnovers in the opening five minutes out of the locker room as they made it a game-high 71-20 edge in just 24:49 of overall game time.  Paced by Siow, the Owls assisted on 21 of their 41 made field goals and have had more assists than turnovers in six of seven games this season while forcing opponents into 140 miscues and no games with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

Justin Williams had nine points (3-3 FG, 3-3 FT) and two assists in the second half, while Tyler Dill scored seven (2-3 3-PT).  The highest-scoring offense in the LEC hit 100 for the second time this season after back-to-back layups by LJ Hicks and a triple by Lyndon Prayer with 43 seconds to go and is now averaging 91.3 points per game this season.

Cody Hawes led Southern Maine with 12 points (4-11 FG, 2-6 3-PT), nine rebounds, and three assists but had seven turnovers.  Marcus Christopher added 10 points.  Leading scorers Jacobe Thomas and Chance Dixon were held to a combined eight points on 3-of-12 shooting as USM was outscored 60-28 in the paint, 36-8 off turnovers, 17-0 on second chances, and 18-2 on fast breaks while allowing a season-high in points.

Inside the Paint

• The Owls are now shooting 50.4 percent (252-500) as a team this season, which entering today would be tied for 18th nationally, and are outrebounding their opponents by an average of 6.7 per game.  They have 28 more assists than turnovers on the season.  Three players (Hunter, Siow, Jean Baptiste) are in the top five in the conference in field goal percentage among those qualified.  Hunter is shooting 67 percent this season.
• Siow has shined in the last two games, totaling a combined 40 points on 16-for-22 shooting (3-4 3-PT) to go along with 11 assists, eight rebounds, and eight steals in 57 minutes.
• KSC has won 41 of 50 all-time meetings since joining the Little East.  Today's margin of victory for the Owls surpassed a 92-48 win in the LEC quarterfinals here on February 20, 2018.

Up Next

• Keene State has a quick turnaround, visiting Emerson College (5-2) on Monday night for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.  It will be the first ever meeting between the programs before KSC has two league games later in the week.  The Owls are 2-0 against the NEWMAC this season (Springfield, MIT).
• Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College (7-1, 1-0 LEC) on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.