BOSTON, MA 1/22/11–Sophomore guard Ryan Martin (Wayne, ME) netted a team-high 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc to lead Keene State College past the University of Massachusetts Boston men' basketball team, 95-84, this afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston. With the victory, the Owls improve their record to 12-5 overall and 4-3 in the Little East Conference, while the Beacons fall to 7-10 and 1-6 in conference.

The win moves the Owls into fourth place in the topsy-turvy LEC standings.

Martin helped the Owls jump out to a 48-29 halftime lead by going a perfect 8-8 from the field in the first half en route to netting 18 points by the intermission. Keene led by as many as 20 points in the frame as the Owl defense forced UMass Boston to shoot a dismal 21.2% (7-33) from the floor in the opening half.

"In the first half we were able to get out in transition, push the ball and get some easy buckets," said Martin, who leads Division III in free throw pct. (98.1%, 51-52)  "But we need to learn how to play with the lead and maintain our intensity."

As far as his hot-shooting was concerned, Martin said he made some adjustments in practice that paid-off.  "I've been working on having softer hands when I shoot.  I know I was due for a good shooting day and luckily today I did," he said.   

A layup by sophomore forward Nicco DeMasco with 16:36 to play in the second half gave KSC its largest lead of the afternoon at 60-34 before the Beacons started chipping away to get back into the contest. With 13:44, UMass Boston senior forward Pat Joseph (Queens, NY) connected on a layup to get the Owl lead back under 20 points at 61-42. A good jumper by junior forward Steve Boudreau (North Andover, MA) gave Keen State a 71-49 with 8:30 left before UMass Boston went on a 10-0 spurt capped by a three pointer by junior guard Isaac Jenkins (Pordenone, Italy) to pull the Beacons within 12 points at 71-59 with 5:44 remaining in the half.

The Owls would increase their lead back to 17 points following a pair of free throws by junior forward Ollie Hunter (Bedford, NH) to make it 83-69 with only 2:14 left on the clock but UMass Boston continued to fight and was able to get the game back to single digits following four consecutive free throws with 47 seconds left in the contest. Jenkins connected on the first two that were the result of a KSC technical foul while freshman forward M.J. Bentley (Orlando, FL) knocked down the other two shots following a double-bonus situation for the home squad, making it an 85-76 contest.

In the two ensuing possessions, Boudreau and freshman center Montel Walcott (New Haven, CT) each connected on one of two shots from the charity stripe, increasing the Owl lead to 87-76 before junior guard Michael Mitchell Jr. (Boston, MA) registered a three point bucket from way behind the arc to cut the lead to 87-79 with 30 ticks left to play.

Unfortunately for the Beacons, it would be the closest they would get as Keene State was able to secure the win by knocking down its final six shots from the foul line to seal the 95-84 road victory.

Sophomore Center Rashad Wright (Agawam, MA) played well down low for the Owls, recording a double-double on a game-high 14 rebounds and 11 points while also recording a game-high four blocks. Hunter and sophomore guard Geoff Woodberry (Hyde Park, MA) were also in double-figures for Keene, each netting 10 points, respectively.

For the Beacons, Mitchell Jr. netted a career-high 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting while also registering a game-high five steals. Jenkins contributed with 25 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Owls host rival Plymouth State University on Tuesday.

(Courtesy UMB Sports Information)