KEENE, N.H. 2/26/08 - Senior forwards Nate Anderson
(Westminster, Mass) scored a game-high 19 points and Tyler Kathan
(Ludlow, Vt.) finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead third
seed Keene State College to a 93-79 victory over sixth seed Western
Conn. State University in a Little East quarterfinal men's
basketball game played Tuesday night at Spaulding Gym.
The Owls (16-10), who avenge an earlier 107-91 loss to the
Colonials at Spaulding Gym, move on to play second seed and
defending LEC champ R.I. College in a semifinal game at
UMass-Dartmouth on Friday night. RIC defeated seventh seed Plymouth
State 77-58.
KSC Coach Rob Colbert gave his coaching staff credit for the
game plan. "They gave us a great chance to win in terms of the
adjustments and how we covered their shooters and dribble
penetration," he said. "We were able to get the ball inside which
is our stregth."
In addition to Little and Kathan, KSC placed three other players
in double figures; senior forward Travon Little (Danbury, Conn.)
had 16 points, senior forward Nick Drouin (Weare, N.H.) added 15
points, and senior swingman Kevin Ritter (Hopewell Junction, N.Y)
finished with 12 points.
The first half featured several lead changes as the Owls tried
to work the ball inside and the Colonials tried to take advantage
of its athleticism and quickness in the backcourt.
Little (Danbury, Conn.) scored 15 of his 16 points in the first
half points for the Owls, who went to the locker room nursing a
slim 40-38 lead.
The Owls continued to pound the ball inside in the second half.
Drouin came alive, finishing a conventional three-point play after
a reverse lay-up, and then scoring on a put-back to give KSC a
55-45 lead at the 13:48 mark.
After a 13-0 run by the Colonials cut the lead to three points
(58-55), the Owls responded with a 9-2 spurt that featured a
three-pointer by senior guard Anthony Licitra (Glastonbury, Conn.)
and a pair of driving lay-ups by Ritter that gave KSC a 67-57 lead
with 7:16 to play.
WCSU lost a key weapon when junior guard Dashon Jennings
(Bridgeport, Conn.) fouled out with 4:441 to go and KSC up 73-62.
KSC freshman guard Tavon Brantley (Bridgeport, Conn.) helped
secure KSC's lead late in the game. He made a great diving save and
fed Anderson for a lay-up and then knocked down a couple of free
throws to put the Owls up 79-64 with 3:30 to go. Kathan then hit a
post up three-ball to make it 82-68 with 2:48 to play.
KSC finished with a 44-37 advantage on the boards and also hit
32 of 43 shots from the line compared to the Colonials (12-19).
WCSU (14-11) placed four players in double figures. Tyshawn
Gillespie (Hartford, Conn.), Michael Jensen (Gales Ferry, Conn.),
and Jennings finished with 12 points each. Freshman forward David
Addy (Manchester, Conn.) added 10 points. Sophomore forward Wilburt
Jarrett (Hartford, Conn.) had a team high nine rebounds. Western
Con had won five previous LEC tournament titles.