Owl hoop teams get down to business

KEENE, N.H. 1/6/11 – The long lay-off is over and the holiday tournaments have been played.  It’s time for Keene State basketball teams to get down to business.

Starting with their games on Saturday at Rhode Island College, both Owl men’s and women’s teams begin a long stretch of games where they will face seven Little East Conference opponents. 

“It’s definitely a great test for us.  I’m excited because I want to know where we’re at,” said KSC men’s basketball coach Rob Colbert.  “You’re always looking at the scores and seeing how teams are doing and now we’re going to have an opportunity to play them.”

“January is the toughest month for basketball players,” said Owl women’s basketball coach Keith Boucher.  “We got a tough stretch coming up.  It’s like driving up hill during a snow storm.”

Keene State finds itself at different ends of the conference standings.  After splitting its two games at the Johns Hopkins Invitational, the Owl men have a 9-2 overall record and join Western Conn. and RIC as the three remaining teams with undefeated records (2-0) in the league.  The Owl women (4-6, 0-2 LEC), who went 1-1 at the Springfield College tournament, are still looking for their first LEC victory of the season.

Although the Owls had hit a difficult part of their schedule, both coaches are looking for improvements for their teams.  “We haven’t arrived yet,” said Colbert.  “Hopefully, we’ll continue to improve and play our best basketball in February when it really counts.”

“We’re a young team, so our focus is to get a little better every game,” said Boucher.  “Taking care of the ball and rebounding are my major concerns.”

The Keene State men, who saw its five game winning streak come to and end with an 82-77 loss to Richard Stockton on Monday, will be facing the defending LEC champs on Saturday.  The Anchormen (7-3, 2-0 LEC) have dropped two out of its last three games, both overtime setbacks against WPI (60-59) and Roger Williams University (90-80). 

The Owl women will be going up against a red-hot RIC team (8-2, 2-0 LEC) that has won five of its last six games prior to Thursday’s tilt against Roger Williams.

The Keene State men should welcome a new member to its 1,000-career point club on Saturday.  Junior Derek D’Amours of Agawam, Mass. enters the game just three points shy of the milestone.  He will become the 28th KSC men’s player to reach the coveted mark and the eighth to do it as a junior.