KEENE, N.H.  2/24/09 - Keene State senior forward Tyler Kathan (Ludlow, Vt.) had a game high 33 points and 13 rebounds to lead the fourth seeded Keene State College men's basketball team to a 100-75 victory over fifth seed Eastern Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference quarterfinal tournament game played Tuesday night at Spaulding Gym.

Senior forward Nate Anderson (Westminster, Mass.) also finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points (seven-for-10 from the field) and pulling down 13 rebounds.  Freshman forward Derek D'Amours (Agawam, Mass.) also chipped in with 17 points, hitting three shots from behind the arc.

Keene State (12-13) advances to the semifinals where they will face top seed and tournament host R.I. College in Providence on Friday night (6 p.m.).  The Anchormen defeated eighth seed Southern Maine 73-57 in their opening round game.

Eastern Conn. concludes its season with a 12-14 mark. 

The Owls pulled away from the Warriors with a 22-5 run that started and ended with top of the key three-pointers by Kathan.  His last one put KSC up 35-15 at the 5:23 mark of the first half. Kathan, who finished the half with 22 point on eight of 12 shooting, had 12 of those points during the run.

 A drive and free throw by freshman Tavonne Reid (Bridgeport, Conn.) made it a 40-22 game with 3:41 to go. 

Sophomore guard Courtney Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) cut the Warriors deficit to 13 points (40-27) with a lay-up at the 2:56 mark.  He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to make it a 51-33 game at the break.

The Owls hit 19 of their 33 shots (58%) from the field in the half.

KSC continued their hot-shooting in the second half.   D'Amours knocked down a couple of early baseline three-pointer and Anderson later hit back-to back jumpers that put the Owls up 65-42 with 14:49 to play.

A 19-4 run, capped off by a cross-over dribble drive by Reid, who finished withb 11 points, stretched KSC's  lead to 30 points (89-59) with 7:38 to go.

KSC Coach Rob Colbert was surprised how the game transpired.  "You never know what to expect this year, we've had so many unpredictable moments," he said.  "I thought we played a complete game tonight for 40 minutes and I'm our proud of our kids."

"We went by the scout and it turned out well," said Kathan. "I was able to hit my shots, but we played well as a team."

Simmons finished with 25 points leading the Warriors.  Junior guard Edwin Ortiz (Hartford, Conn.) also finished in double figures with 13 points.

The two teams split regular season games. The Owls defeated the Warriors 73-63 in Keene and ECSU rolled to a 73-53 win over KSC a week ago in Willimantic.   

Previous quarterfinal games between the two teams had been decided by one point.  In 200, ECSU edged KSC 80-79 in Willimantic and the Owls nipped the Warriors 62-61 in a 2003 first-round game played in Keene.