PROVIDENCE, R.I. 2/25/11 – In a double-overtime, back-and-forth thriller, the Keene State College men's basketball team came close to upsetting top-seed and Little East Conference tournament host Rhode Island College, but fell 102-92 in double overtime.

Trailing by two points with 2.6 seconds left in regulation, sophomore Anthony Mariano (Naugatuck, Conn.) missed his second free-throw attempt on purpose and sophomore center Rashad Wright (Agawam, Mass.) tipped the rebound home to force the first overtime. "We obviously missed the free-throw on purpose to try to get the opportunity to tie the game," said KSC head coach Rob Colbert.

In the first overtime, with RIC trailing 92-89, sophomore Ethan Gaye (Providence, R.I.) missed his final attempt from the free-throw line and center Mike Akinrola (Woonsocket, R.I.) took the rebound out past the arc and drained a fall-away three pointer to even the game at 92 and force the second overtime.

The Anchormen outscored the visiting Owls 10-0 in the second extra-frame, with senior guard Antone Gray (Providence, R.I.) scoring seven of his 22 points, to propel RIC into the LEC tournament finals. "Once we had a lead in the first overtime I thought we had the game," said Colbert. "It's a shame our season has to end this way."

KSC stormed out to their biggest lead of the game with 14:44 left in the second-half, as junior Cody Snow (Leydan, Mass.) hit a jumper from the free-throw line to give the Owls a 60-52 lead. The Anchormen fought back with a 14-2 run of their own, capped by Mason Choice's (Newport, R.I.) layup and free throw at the 10:45 mark. Owl forward Derek D'Amours (Agawam, Mass.) ended a 3:24 scoreless streak with fast-break layup off a Rashad Wright (Agawam, Mass.) block.

Akinrola, who shot two-of-seven from behind the arc, hit a three-ball in the corner with 1:22 left in regulation to give RIC a 79-72 lead. After sophomore Nicco DeMasco (Richmond, N.H.) hit two free-throws, and a D'Amours hit a fastbreak layup, Mariano hit two free-throws with 7.4 seconds left to make the Owls trail by just one. Anchormen guard Nick Manson (Newport, R.I.) hit two free-throws for the 81-78 lead, setting up Wright for his put-back heroics.

In the first OT, junior forward Ollie Hunter's (Bedford, N.H.) layup as the shot-clock expired with 37 seconds left gave KSC the 91-87 lead. But Akinrola's three-pointer as time expired, sent the game into the second overtime.

After pulling out to a 95-92 lead on Gray's trifecta to open up the second extra-frame, RIC used up 1:14 of clock time by grabbing four consecutive offensive rebounds and finished the game off hitting six-of-seven free throws for the 102-92 win.

D'Amours led all scorers with 28 points on the night, while sophomore Ryan Martin (Wayne, Maine) had 21 points to pace the Owls scoring. Hunter and Mariano, each had 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds to round out the double-digit performers for KSC.

RIC had five players in double-figures, led by Akinrola's 23 point, 13 rebound double-double. Choice and Carl Lee (Warwick, R.I.) each finished with 15 points for the Anchormen.

KSC was outrebounded 62-49 in the game and RIC shot 40.7% (33-81) from the floor while the Owls were 29-75 (38.7%) on the night.