KSC Clamps Down After Halftime, Rolls to 22-1

KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College men's basketball team held the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to 33 percent shooting in the second half (16 percentage points worse than the opening 20 minutes) and without a three on nine attempts in the entire game while forcing 17 turnovers as the nationally fifth-ranked Owls steadily pulled away for an 82-65 win over the Corsairs at Spaulding Gymnasium Wednesday night that ensured the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, meaning the Little East Conference road in 2022-2023 goes through Keene.

Records

• No. 5 Keene State:  22-1, 14-0 LEC
• UMass-Dartmouth:  6-16, 5-8 LEC

Postgame Interview (Coach Cain)
Postgame Interview (Jeff Hunter)

How It Happened
The Corsairs started hot offensively, but KSC progressively clamped down as the game went on and, much like the first meeting between the two teams, was well in control as the second half wore in.  The Owls clobbered UMD in the first matchup 100-72, putting up 62 points on 60 percent shooting in the second half, and today although the point total was lower was not incredibly different, with KSC shooting 56 percent in the first half and 52 percent overall while also making 8-of-15 from three-point range.  Meanwhile, after connecting at a 53 percent (8-for-15) clip from the field over the opening 10:43, the Corsairs were limited to just 19-for-55 (35 percent) thereafter and to just four assists and 17 turnovers in the game overall.

Keene State was quickly rolling, opening up a 12-6 lead less than four minutes in as they continually attacked the basket early and often.  However, thanks to an uncharacteristic seven first half turnovers and UMD's early aggression, the Corsairs hung around and got within 14-13 with 15 minutes to go in the half following a 7-2 burst.  After combining for 27 points in the game's first five minutes, the teams totaled just 22 over the next 10 minutes.  UMass-Dartmouth briefly got within 22-21 at the 8:15 mark, but the emerging Liam Johnston answered with one of his three triples (on five tries) on the night just 26 seconds later.  He is 5-for-8 from deep in the last three games.  A Jeff Hunter layup at the 4:57 mark had the Owls up 28-23, and after Jayquan Leonard responded with one of his own, KSC got important treys from Mason Jean Baptiste and Johnston after a Tahmeen Dupree steal to rapidly take a nine-point (34-25) lead a minute later.  The Corsairs chipped it to five three times over the remainder of the half, but trailed 40-33 at the half following a Hunter layup in the final minute.  They had no answers for the star Owl forward early, with Hunter making 8-of-11 shots in the first half for 17 points while also grabbing six rebounds.

With their offense taking care of things just fine, the Owls used their defense to put UMD away fairly quickly in the second half, as the Corsairs never got closer than five and trailed by double-digits for the final 14:28 after KSC hit them with a 13-2 spurt that turned what was a 42-37 game into a comfortable 55-39 advantage at the 13:28 mark.  The uprising was highlighted by a fancy finish from Dupree while being fouled to push the lead into double-figures for the first time, and then a triple from freshman Mike Carothers off a pass from Spencer Aronson with 13:28 to go.  Mike Eurquhart ended the run with a strong putback dunk, but the Owls blanketed the Corsairs in the second half, holding them to paltry 33 percent shooting mark (14-for-43), and were never threatened.  Aronson drilled a top-of-the-key three at the 10:50 mark to make it 59-43 KSC, and Jean Baptiste sliced to the basket a minute later for an 18-point lead.  Liam Johnston connected from distance again with 8:46 remaining to make it 64-45, and the lead went over 20 for the first time when Brito canned a jumper and Jeric Cichon blocked Dhalyn Sanders-Dyer's three-point attempt, which eventually led to a swished triple for Jean Baptiste that made it 71-50 with 6:04 left.  Dupree made it a game-high 78-56 edge three minutes later by getting in on the three action himself, and the Owls were well on their way from there to another emphatic league victory – one that locked up at least a share of their fifth Little East Conference regular season championship since they joined the league prior to the 1997-1998 season.  When the league tournament begins in about two weeks, the Owls will be able to host however long they play.  However, KSC will also hope to have games at Spaulding Gymnasium beyond that, and they will resume that process a week from today when they play the first of only two remaining regular season games.

Hunter finished with a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double to lead the way for KSC.  He added three assists and two blocks.  Jean Baptiste added 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3-PT), three rebounds, and three assists while Brito had 11 points but made only 4-of-10 shots on a rare off night.  He grabbed seven boards and still had an assist and two blocks.  Johnston added an important nine points while Nate Siow had eight points and Carothers five assists.

Sanders-Dyer led the way for UMass-Dartmouth with 16 points, but was held to a 6-for-18 shooting performance.  He grabbed five rebounds.  Jackson Zancan finished with 10 points (4-10 FG) and seven rebounds, while Eurquhart had 10 points (5-10 FG) and nine rebounds.  The Corsairs finished 0-of-9 from three-point land and turned the ball over 17 times, and now sit firmly entrenched in sixth place in the league standings, two and a half games back of fifth place Eastern Connecticut State University. 

Inside the Paint

• Dupree and Carothers, both off the bench, combined for eight points (3-5 FG, 2-2 3-PT), seven assists to no turnovers, and four steals.
• The 22 wins tie the previous high of head coach Ryan Cain's tenure, previously done in the 2016-2017 Elite Eight season.  The Owls' eighth year head coach improved to 140-65 overall and 75-19 at Spaulding Gymnasium.
• KSC has won three straight in the series, which they lead 35-28, after losing the previous four.  UMass-Dartmouth is 9-21 all-time in Keene.
• The Owls' previous LEC regular season titles have come in 1998-1999, 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, and 2018-2019.

Up Next

• Keene State will enjoy a weekend off as they have their second league bye of the season.  The Owls will travel to Castleton University (3-18, 0-13 LEC) for a league game next Wednesday (February 15) at 7:30 p.m.  The Spartans, who host second place Western Connecticut State University on Saturday and have already been eliminated from conference tournament contention, saw a late six-point lead vanish tonight in a 59-58 loss at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.  KSC won the first meeting 102-49.
• UMass-Dartmouth hosts Plymouth State (9-14, 2-12 LEC) on Saturday, February 11 for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.  The Panthers were eliminated from postseason contention with a 75-62 home loss to the University of Southern Maine this evening.