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Owls drive to Danbury for key LEC games against Colonials on Saturday
KEENE, 2/10/12 – Ask most Keene State College basketball players about their least favorite trip of the season and it's a good bet they will tell you it's the three hour, 161 mile pilgrimage to Danbury, Conn. to play Western Conn. State University. But not everyone IS dreading the drive to Danbury on Saturday. "I can't wait to go back home and see my family, said sophomore Vicky Vitale, who is from Danbury and was a four-year starter and senior captain at nearby New Fairfield Prep. "My parents don't get to come to many of my games because they're so far away."
You can also add Anthony Mariano, a junior guard on the Owl men's basketball team, to the list of Danbury devotees. "I don't mind the trip. It's about 30 minutes from my house in Naugatuck," he said. "Western Conn. heavily recruited me out of high school and I have family in the area, so it's always a good time playing down there."
While it will be fun for Vitale and Mariano to visit with their family and friends, they know it's a business trip for them and their teams and a lot will be riding on the key Little East Conference clash. "It's a pretty long bus ride, but we have to come out ready to play," said junior Sara Laudano, who also grew down the road in North Haven, Conn.
The Keene State women's basketball team, ranked ninth in the region, can go a long way in securing its hold on second place in the LEC with a win against the Colonials. The Owls (15-5, 9-2 LEC), riding a season high seven game winning streak, are one game up on Southern Maine in the standings while Western Conn. (14-8, 6-5 LEC) is currently fourth, battling for position in the upcoming LEC tournament.
Keene State women's basketball coach Keith Boucher said the game will feature two teams with diverse offensive attacks. "We're like polar opposites," he said. "We get most of our points around the basket and they get the majority of their points from behind the arc, so we have to do a very good job of closing out on their shooters."
The Owls, who rolled to a 77-51 win against Plymouth State on Tuesday, snapped a nine game losing streak to WCSU with a 69-60 victory at Spaulding Gym back on Jan 10. In that game, the Colonials tossed up 39 three-pointers. "Coach has been driving the point home all week in practice," said Laudano. "He keeps on reminding us to get out on their three point shooters."
Keene State men's basketball coach Rob Colbert will be exalting his players to keep an eye on DaQuan Brooks on Saturday. The last time the two teams met, Brooks poured in 46 points to lead the Colonials to a 94-87 victory over the Owls at Spaulding Gym. It was the last loss for KSC, which after the game embarked on its current nine game winning streak.
Brooks, who leads the LEC in scoring with 28.2 ppg., was back at it on Tuesday, scoring a career high 48 points in an 82-81 overtime thriller against Eastern Conn. Brooks acted as a decoy in the final seconds of play, driving down the court and feeding teammate Gary Robinson for the winning basket as time expired.
"It will be an NCAA environment type of game. Two teams that have a lot at stake," said Colbert. "I think they're playing a lot better when we saw them the first time and we are too."
"It will be a battle of our ability to limit or at least control Brooks and their other perimeter players and their ability to deal with our big men," Colbert added. "So it will be a tug of war of sorts. But I'm looking forward to a great game."
The game features two teams with the top offenses in the LEC, KSC is averaging 83.6 ppg., while WCSU is right behind with a 80.9 ppg. average.
Keene State senior Ollie Hunter will attempt to keep Brooks from getting in the flow of his game. "I hope to keep him in front of me and when he gives up the ball try not to let him get it back," said Hunter. "I can't wait for the challenge."
"I think you have to make him really work," said Colbert. "I think he gets his points – he's just that good. But how hard he has to work to get them and your ability to score with them - I think is really the key."
The Colonials did the Owls a favor by beating Eastern Conn. on Tuesday. With three games remaining in the regular season, Keene State (18-4, 10-1 LEC) finds itself two games up on Western Conn. (18-4, 8-3 LEC) and Eastern Conn. (17-5, 8-3 LEC) in the LEC standings.
The significance of the game is magnified by the recently released regional rankings that have not only ECSU (#6) and Western (#4), but also Rhode Island College (#3) ahead of Keene State (#8).
Keene State, which leads the overall series 21-14, has done just fine in the Feldman Arena over the years, going 8-7. The two teams met in the 2002 LEC championship game with the Colonials holding on for an 86-83 victory.
Needless to say, a win by both Owl teams will help secure their seeds in the tournament and make the long drive back from Danbury more enjoyable.
But as Colbert aptly said, "This is a long way from being finished."
