KEENE, N.H. 11/18/08 - The Keene State men's basketball team is
still looking for its first win of the season after dropping a
68-63 non-conference game to Springfield College at Spaulding Gym
on Tuesday night.
Senior forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) scored all of his 17
points in the second half and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the
Owls (0-2).
Junior guard Ryan Blackmon (Stamford, Conn.), who hit 10 of his
13 shots from the field, had a game-high 22 points for the Pride
(2-1).
The Owls took an eight point lead 23-15 on a long three-point
basket by freshman forward Derek D'Amours (Agawam, Mass.) midway in
the first half. The Pride took its first lead of the game
(24-23) on a jumper by freshman guard Antoine Hicks (Houston, Tex.)
at the 5:50 mark. A three-pointer by junior forward Pat Crean
(Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) sent the Pride to the locker room with a
36-32 lead.
The Pride began the second half with a 10-2 run to take a 46-34
lead on a basket by Blackmon five and a half minutes into the
second half.
The Owls came back with a 12-4 run, capped by a three-pointer by
Kathan to cut the lead to four points (50-46) with 13:34 to go.
The game was decided in the final minutes of play. Down 65-62,
Kathan made it a three point game (65-62) with a jumper with 1:19
to play. He had a chance to tie the game in the Owls' next
possession, but his three-pointer hit off the rim.
Following missed baskets by the Owls, senior forward John
Strawson (Torrington, Conn.) and sophomore forward Matthew
Cavalieri (West Warwick, R.I.) hit key free throws in the closings
seconds of the game to give Springfield the win.
Senior forward Nate Anderson (Westminster, Mass.) finished with
15 points and 12 rebounds and D'Amours added 12 points for KSC.
Strawson had 12 points and 10 rebounds and senior guard Danny
White (Melrose, N.Y.) and Cavalieri finished with 10 points each
for the Pride.
Keene State hosts Maine-Machias in a first-round game of the
Noyes Volkswagen Tip-Off tournament on Friday (7 p.m.).
Springfield plays Mitchell College at the Eastern Conn.
Invitational on Friday (7:30 p.m.).
