KSC Trims 17-Point Second Half Deficit to Two, but Can't Overcome Season Worst Field Goal Percentage in Upset Loss

KEENE, N.H. – The seventh-ranked Keene State College men's basketball team shot a season-low 31.9 percent and only 62 percent from the free throw line, missing 11 of 29 from the charity stripe, as they were upset 76-73 by Western Connecticut State University with a chance to clinch the Little East Conference regular season for the second consecutive year on Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.  It is the first league loss for the Owls in two years and a day.

Records

• No. 7 Keene State: 20-3, 13-1 LEC
• Western Connecticut: 20-4, 13-2 LEC

Postgame Interview (Coach Hastings)

How It Happened
Counting postseason conference tournament games, KSC had won 36 consecutive conference games…but a new streak will have to begin, as the Owls – normally a tough team to defend inside and out – had neither game working on this day and trailed for 36:37 out of 40 minutes on their home court as they bid for their second straight regular season league title and one step closer to a second straight unbeaten regular season conference slate.  Now, they will have to settle for a half-game lead for first place entering the final two games.  The Owls can still clinch the regular season LEC championship with a win at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Wednesday, though the Corsairs are the only team in the conference that managed to beat WCSU on their own court.

Inside the arc today, Keene State shot just 17-for-53 (32 percent) and, outside of Jeff Hunter's 8-for-11, shot a combined 16-for-65 overall (24.6 percent).  Given those numbers, perhaps somewhat remarkably, the Owls still had a chance to steal the game at the end.  They trailed 60-43 with 11:12 left, by far their largest deficit of the season at home, but cut it to 10 less than four minutes later as Octavio Brito's old-fashioned three-point play made it 62-52.  Jaysean Morgan made a three for the Wolves with 6:54 left to push the lead back to 13, but KSC ripped off seven more in a row to trim the deficit to 65-59 over the next 1:07.  A basket and free throw on a second chance opportunity for WCSU on their ensuing trip seemed to be another momentum-crushing play, but the Owls kept pushing, making it 70-66 with 3:50 to go after triples by Liam Johnston and Mason Jean Baptiste.  They had a chance to get within one on the next trip, but Jean Baptiste missed a three.  Turnovers on critical possessions late ended up doing in KSC.  Down 75-69 at the 1:23 mark, Nate Siow forced a miscue from Alfonzo Stokes, but the Owls gave it back with 1:04 left.  The Wolves missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to keep KSC alive, and Brito then made it a four-point (75-71) game with 45 seconds left.  Western Connecticut continued to miss free throws even after that, as Stokes could not convert the first of a 1-and-1 either and Hunter scored on the other end to make it 75-73 with 22 seconds to go.  Jeremiah Williams then could not convert either free throw in a double bonus, giving the Owls a chance to tie or take a lead, but instead they turned the ball over.  The Wolves still left the door ajar by making just one of two at the charity stripe, but Keene State could not bang the door down.  Siow's pass upcourt down the right side intended for Johnston was deflected out of bounds just beyond half court with 1.4 to go.  After a timeout, Brito's three off the inbounds pass was late and did not go in anyway as the Owls lost for the second time at home this season by a total of five points.

Keene State's late comeback push was partially denied due to the fact that they went 9-for-16 (56 percent) at the free throw line in the second half.  They also converted 21 offensive rebounds into just 12 second chance points overall in the game.

For the Owls, though, the game was lost in a 25-minute span from the 15:51 mark of the first half to the 11:12 mark in the second half – the time of each team's largest lead (KSC 4, WCSU 17) – when Keene State shot an abysmal 12-for-48 from the floor (25 percent) and made just 1-of-11 from long distance.  Hunter had 17 of his team's 32 points in that span, and the Owls also turned the ball over seven times.  Meanwhile, while being a plus-21 in that stretch and seeing nine different players score, WestConn was 22-of-43 from the field (51.2 percent) and 4-of-8 from three-point range.  Keene State's 11-7 lead went bad quickly, as the Wolves scored 12 straight points in just 1:47 and never trailed again.  A Hunter stuff with 8:46 remaining in the first half brought KSC back within 25-22, but the home team then surrendered eight of the next nine points to fall behind by double-figures on Keeshawn Jones' transition layup.  WCSU carried a 39-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.  The Owls got within three quickly out of the break, making it 39-36 on Siow's basket 2:01 in, but gave up the next five in a row.  A big dunk by Alonzo Linton with 15:36 to go made it 46-40, but did not spark any uprising, as KSC was outscored 14-3 over the next 4:24.

Hunter finished with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 15 rebounds (six offensive).  He had three assists and six blocks, becoming the program's new all-time career blocks leader with his first one of the afternoon 33 seconds into the game.  Brito finished with 21 points, but on 6-of-18 shooting, 10 rebounds, and four assists while Jean Baptiste was the only other Owl in double-figures with 10 points (4-14 FG, 2-7 3-PT).

Western Connecticut was paced by 17 points and 10 rebounds from Jaheim Young (6-9 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 3-3 FT).  Cameron Gallon (3-8 FG, 2-4 3-PT, 3-4 FT) had 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.  Jones (11 pts., 5-13 FG) and Morgan (10 pts., 4-6 FG, 2-3 3-PT) were also in double-figures, and the Wolves' reserves outscored the Owls' counterparts 34-8.

Inside the Paint

• It was the Owls' lowest field goal percentage in a game since their NCAA tournament Sweet 16 loss to Swarthmore College last year.  In KSC's two home losses, they have shot a combined 50-for-148 from the field (33.8 percent) and 8-for-38 (21 percent) from three-point range.  From deep in the last three games, KSC is 20-for-69 (29 percent).
• Hunter surpassed Nate Howard on the all-time blocks list.  The former Owl big man had 216 from 2012 through 2016.
• Keene State had won the last six head-to-head meetings.  They are 40-20 against WestConn since joining the LEC in 1997.  However, KSC needed overtime to beat the Wolves at home both times last season including in the LEC championship.  In the regular season meeting, the Owls trailed by 10 with less than four minutes to go before coming back thanks to a three-point barrage by Spencer Aronson down the stretch.  No comeback was in the cards today, and Aronson could not play due to an injury.
• After making double-digit threes in five of their first seven games, KSC has done so just three times in the 16 games since.

Up Next

• The Owls, after seeing where they are in the first numerical regional rankings on Tuesday, will try again to win the LEC regular season on Wednesday (February 14) at UMass-Dartmouth (14-9, 11-3) at 7:30 p.m.  KSC won the first meeting 104-76.
• Western Connecticut closes their regular season at home against the Corsairs next Saturday, February 17 at 3:00 p.m.  The Wolves have a chance to be in the regional poll this week, but will be hindered by a strength of schedule number that entered the week at a Region II-worst .426 (Keene State's was .549).