KEENE, N.H. 12/8/07 - Rhode Island College outscored Keene State College 16-11 in overtime to post a 96-91 Little East Conference men's basketball victory at Spaulding Gym on Saturday. The game was a rematch of last year's LEC championship and NCAA third-round game, both won by the Anchormen. It was the first win for RIC at Spaulding Gymnasium since Jan. 15, 2005.

It was the fourth straight win for the defending LEC champion Anchormen who improve to 7-1 (2-0).  The 16th ranked Owls (5-2, 1-1 LEC) suffered their second straight loss and their first LEC setback of the season.
 

The first half featured runs by both teams.  Keene State jumped out to a 26-9 lead, but RIC answered with a 17-2 run, capped off by a three-point basket by junior guard Tirrell Hill (Bronx, N.Y.) to take a 29-28 lead at the 3:45 mark.
 

Senior guard Kevin Ritter (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds to send the Owls to the locker room with a 35-32 lead.
 

RIC started the second half on a 12-3 run to take a 44-38 lead.  But KSC hit three-pointers in their next three possessions to go up 47-46.
 

There were several lead changes as both teams battled into the closing minutes of regulation.  A three-pointer by junior guard Bobby Bailey (Fall River, Mass.) put RIC up 75-69 with 2:02 to play.
 

A pair of free throws by junior forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) and a basket awarded to freshman guard Tavon Brantley (Bridgeport, Conn.) on a goal tend made it 75-72 with 1:09 to go.
 

Foul shots by Hill put RIC up 78-74 with 28.7 to play.  KSC cut the lead to one (78-77) on a three-point basket with 19.6 seconds to go.
 

Freshman guard Anthony Fortes (East Providence, R.I.) hit a couple of free throws to make it 80-77 with 15.1 second left on the clock.
 

After a miss by Ritter, senior forward Nick Drouin (Weare, N.H.) grabbed the offensive rebound and fired the ball out to senior guard Matt Hickey (Mahopac, N.Y.) who hit a long-range three pointer, three feet beyond the arc, at the buzzer to send the game into overtime with the score knotted at 80-all.
 

The Anchormen took the lead for good (84-83) on a lay-up by junior forward Kaseem Johnson (New Haven, Conn.) at the 4:10 mark. Bailey followed with a three-pointer and Hill hit a couple of free throws to make it 89-83 with 1:44 to go. Hill connected on four free throws down the stretch as RIC held off the Owls.
 

Hill had a game-high 29 points and Fortes finished with 22 points for RIC.  Bailey scored 16 points, junior guard Cameron Stewart (Newport, R.I.) had 13 points and nine rebounds, and junior center Will Lyons ( Warwick, R.I.) finished with 10 points to round out the double figure scorers for RIC, who knocked down 33 of 46 shots from the line.
 

Kathan, who had four three-pointers in the game, led the Owls with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  Ritter had 18 points, Licitra added 15 points, and Hickey finished with 11 points for KSC.
 

Keene State will travel to the Montclair (N.J.) State tournament on Fri-Sat. Dec, 28-29.  RIC is at Trinity on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.).