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KEENE STATE OWLS

Men's Basketball

LEC MBB: Owls Go Inside to Throttle WCSU 93-79

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.

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