KEENE, N.H.  1/13/09 - Senior forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) scored a career-high 36 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Keene State men's basketball team to a 106-90 victory over Western Connecticut State University at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday night.

Snapping a four game losing streak, Keene State improves to 7-6 (3-1 LEC) while Western Conn. fall to 5-6 (1-3 LEC).

The first half was the Tyler Kathan show.  The scorching hot senior hit 10 of his 12 shots from the field for 24 first half points to stake the Owls to a 57-44 lead at the break. A jumper by Kathan gave KSC an early 18-6 lead. 

After a baseline three-pointer by senior guard Dashon Jennings (Bridgeport, Conn.) cut the Owls' lead to five points (24-19), KSC pulled away from the Colonials.  A put back basket and jumper in the lane by freshman forward Cody Snow (Leyden, Mass., who finished with a season high 13 points, put the Owls up by 12 (46-34) at the 4:22 mark. 

In closing minute of the half, freshman guard Quinton McMillian (Springfield, Mass.) hit a reverse lay-up and moments later took a pass from Kathan and went in for an uncontested lay-up that made it a 57-40 game.

In the second half, WCSU chipped away at the Owls' lead and got the deficit down to eight points on a lay-up by David Addy with 12:10 to play.

Keene State answered with a 9-2 run capped off by an allee-oop pass from freshman point guard Tavonne Reid (Bridgeport, Conn.) to Snow that pushed the Owls' lead back to 15 points (81-66) with 9:44 to go.

The 36 points by Kathan breaks his previous high of 33 set against Springfield College back on Jan. 11, 2007. 

"I've been trying to get more shots up.  I haven't been able to find my rhythm so far this season and I figured I might as well keep working on my shot," said Kathan, who hit 15 of his 21 shots from the field and five of 8 three-point attempts. "Tonight it felt great.  I finally had some confidence. I felt like I was in the flow of the offense and they were dropping."

His 36 points are the most by an Owl men's player since Dave Stantial scored 36 points against Plymouth State (1/28/01) and Chris Coats netted 37 points against UMass-Dartmouth a few days later on Feb. 3, 2001.

Freshman Derek D'Amours (Agawam, Mass.) added 14 point and freshman forward Mike Dziczek (West Boylston, Mass.) finished with a season best 12 points.

The Owls shot 62% (42-68) from the field and hit 8 of 15 from behind the arc (53%).

KSC has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams.

Jennings led the Colonials with 14 points while freshman forward Gary Robinson (Torrington, Conn.) chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds.

Both teams have LEC games on Saturday.  Keene State is at UMass-Boston and Western Conn. hosts Southern Maine.