WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Senior guard Harley Davis (Newburypoint,
MA) dropped in a reverse layup with two seconds left to snap a tie
and give the Keene State College men's basketball team a 56-54
Little East Conference victory over Eastern Connecticut State
University Thursday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
Eastern (5-11, 2-6 little east) had tied the game 54-all with 33
seconds left on a three-pointer from deep in the corner by
sophomore guard Geoffrey Richardson (HARTFORD) After a timeout,
Davis inbounded to freshman guard David Sontag (Mont Vernon, NH) at
midcourt with 27.3 seconds left. Sontag ran into traffic as he
drove into the lane with time winding down but his jump-pass found
Davis all alone. The bucket was only the second of the game for
Davis, averaging nine points per game.
Eastern senior guard Mike Bartunek (DURHAM) had set up
Richardson's game-tying three-pointer. Keene (12-7, 5-4 little
east) had possession of the ball and a three-point lead but
Bartunek knocked the ball off of Sontag in the corner to give
Eastern possession. Moments later, junior guard Michael Stallings
(WATERBURY) drove the lane and fanned the ball out to a wide-open
Richardson, who tied the game at 54 with 33 seconds left.
The conference leader in free-throw percentage, Keene shot over
80 per cent from the stripe for the fourth straight game. The Owls
were 15-for-18, Eastern just 12-for-24.
Junior forward Ben Maynard (Nobleboro, ME) helped Keene to a
plus-nine rebounding margin by grabbing a game and career-high 15
to go along with 14 points. Sontag led all playes with 15 points.
Eastern senior forward Jeroy Smith (NEW HAVEN) led Eastern with 11
points.
The win is the eighth straight over Eastern for Keene, last
year's conference regular-season and playoff champion and an NCAA
Elite Eight qualifier.
Eastern was playing its first home game in three weeks and first
home game since the Jan. 20 death of senior guard Antwoine Key.
Keene State hosts the University of Southern Maine on Saturday
(3 p.m.), while Eastern hosts conference leader Plymouth State
Saturday at 3 p.m.
(courtesy of ECSU Sports Information)
