'Providence, RI-The sophomore frontcourt tandem of Nate Anderson (Westminster, Mass.) and Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) combined for 50 points to lead second-seeded Keene State College to a 79-67 victory over sixth-seeded University of Massachusetts-Boston in the semifinal round of the 2007 Little East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament this evening at The Murray Center. The Owls advance to the championship round for the sixth time in the program's history.

Keene State College (23-4) will play top-seeded Rhode Island College at 3 p.m. on Feb. 24. The Anchormen defeated the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in the night cap, 76-68. The conference champion will receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Anderson scored a game-high 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting, including three-for-four from behind the 3-point arc. He registered 22 points in the first frame. Kathan recorded a double-double, netting 23 points, including 21 in the second stanza, and pulling in a team-high 11 rebounds. Senior forward David Sontag (Mt. Veron, N.H.) also reached double figures in scoring with 11 points.

In a frantic first 20 minutes of action, the Owls held the advantage for the majority of the half. With Keene State leading by nine points, 18-9, with just under 10 minutes to play, Beacons' senior guard Tony Barros (Dorchester, Mass.) rattled off four consecutive 3-pointers to stake UMass Boston to just its second advantage of the half, 25-24. The Owls responded with an 8-0 surge capped by a Kathan layup as Keene State headed into the intermission leading 42-37.

"I don't think I've had a half like that," Anderson said. "The guys kept penetrating, they went to help and I was wide open".

The Beacons (10-17) scored the first five points of the second half to tie the contest at 42-all. The Owls regained their advantage on a junior forward Travon Little (Danbury, Conn.) fast-break dunk. That would be as close as UMass Boston would get, as Keene State ballooned its lead to 16 points, 79-63, with just 3:16 remaining in regulation. 

Barros led the Beacons with 19 points, including four-of-seven from long range, while junior forward Amigo Paniagua (Santiago, Dominican Republic) also reached double digits with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Barros established a new UMass Boston record for points in a single-season with 634.