'KEENE, N.H. 1/16/07 - Mike Parker's (Windsor, Conn.)
jumper for the left side of the lane with 3.4 seconds to play
lifted Eastern Conn. State University to a dramatic 73-71 upset win
over Keene State College in a Little East Conference men's
basketball game played at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.
The Owls (13-2, 5-1 LEC), ranked 24th in this weeks's D3Hoop
poll and leading the LEC, saw its nine game winning streak come to
and end. Eastern Conn. improves to 9-5 (4-2 LEC).
The Warriors held a 10 point lead (29-19) with 8:37 to play in
the first half. The Owls hit the boards hard to get back into
the game. Nick Drouin (Weare, N.H.) had three put back basket off
Owl free throw misses. Tyler Kathan's (Ludlow, Vt.) fall away
jumper tied the score (35-all) with 2:11 to go. KSC scored
the final eight points of the half to take a 43-35 lead into the
locker room.
The Warriors battled back in the second half. ECSU used a
16-2 run to go ahead 54-52 with 11:53 to play.
The game was decided in the final minutes of play. A pair of
free throws by Leon Martin (Woodbury, Conn.) gave Eastern Conn. a
six point lead (67-61) with 4:53 to play.
Nate Anderson (Westminster, Mass.) base line pop got the Owls to
within one point with 1:04 to go. The Owls turned the ball
over in their next possession and Geoffrey Richardson (Hartford,
Conn.) dunked the ball after several KSC players went down to put
the Warriors up 71-68 with 28 seconds to go.
Drouin three point attempt hit off the rim and bounced back into
the basket to tie the game with 71-all with 18 seconds to go.
The Warriors' Parker hit a jumper from the left side with 3.4
seconds with the winning
hoop.
Drouin finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, Kathan
added 11 points, and Anderson and Dave Sontag (Mont Vernon, N.H.)
had 10 points each to lead the Owls.
Martin, who hit nine of 13 from the floor, had a game high
21 points and Parker finished with 13 points to lead the Warriors.
Keene State hosts R.I. College in a battle of top LEC
teams on Saturday (3 p.m.). Eastern Conn. returns home to face
UMass-Boston at the same time.
