KEENE, N.H. 1/30/10 -  The Keene State College men's basketball team extended its winning streak to season-tying four games with a 95-65 Little East Conference victory over the University of Southern Maine on Saturday.

            Tied with three teams for fourth place in a wild scramble for play-off position in the LEC, Keene State improves to 12-8 (5-4 LEC).  USM falls to 2-17 (0-9 LEC).

            Freshman forward Eric Fazio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) scored18 points and sophomore forward Derek D'Amours (Agawam, Mass.) finished with 17 points to lead the Owls.

            Sophomore guard Tyler LaClair (Middlesex, Vt.), who hit seven of his 10 shots from the field, had a game high 20 points for the Huskies.

            There were several nice plays by the Owls as they built up a 53-32 halftime lead.  Sophomore forward Cody Snow (Leyden, Mass.), had a entertaining slam off an offensive rebound,  Fazio and freshman guard Drew Rolfe (Berlin, Mass.) combined for a well-executed pick-and-roll play, and D' Amour's spun a reverse lay-up off the glass and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer four feet behind the arc in the closing seconds of the half. D' Amours finished the half with 15 points and Fazio scored 14 points.

            The Owls continued to pull away from the Huskies in the second half.  After some nice interior passing, Fazio hit a lay-up, extending KSC's lead to 29 points (64-35) with 15:30 to play.  Later in the half, Snow stole the ball and went in for an emphatic reverse dunk to put the Owls up 74-44 with 10:42 to play.    

            Owls point guards had a productive game, combining for 15 of the team's 21 assists.  Freshman Shane Norris (Burlington, Vt.) dished out a season high nine helpers while Rolfe added six assists.

            "Our guards did a great job of distributing the ball today," said Snow, who finished with 10 points.  "The big guys like to know they get rewarded for running the floor."

            All 14 players had at least one rebound for the Owls, who had a 52-36 advantage off the glass." 

            Junior guard John Sewall (Bath, Me.) also finished in double figures for USM with 12 points.   Junior forward Otis Smith (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) pulled down a game high nine rebounds.

            Keene State has the week off before traveling to R.I. College next Saturday.  Southern Maine host Colby College on Tuesday.