NORTH DARTMOUTH, MASS.  11/30/12 – It almost wasn't a TGIF for the Keene State College men's basketball team.  Playing a rare Friday night game, the Owls held off UMass-Dartmouth, opening their Little East Conference schedule with an 81-76 win at the Tripp Athletic Center.

Senior Eric Fazio (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) scored a game high 20 points and Rashad Wright (Agawam, Mass.) posted his  third  double-double of the season with 16 points and  a game-high 11 rebounds before fouling out to lead the Owls (3-2, 1-0 LEC). 

Junior Eleazer Clayton (Boston, Mass.) scored 16 points to lead UMass-Dartmouth (0-5, 0-1LEC).

Trailing 31-26 at the half, the Owls rallied behind Fazio, who scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half.  Fazio scored seven straight point to give KSC a 46-40 lead at the 15:27 mark.

Picked to finish last in the LEC preseason poll, the Corsairs didn't go down without a fight.  Sophomore Jake Laga (Northampton, Mass.) hit a couple of free throws to give UMD a 69-68 lead with 1:52 to play. 

Senior Ryan Martin (Wayne, Maine) hit one of two free throws to tie the score.  Martin who struggled from the field (1-5), made his lone field goal count, hitting a three-pointer from the top of the circle to give KSC a 72-71 lead with1:18 to play.

After an offensive foul was called on the Corsairs, freshman Jesse LaCroix (Orange, Mass.) found Fazio down low for a layup, putting the Owls up 74-71.

Keene State appeared to be in the driver's seat after Martin hit a couple of free throws to make it 76-71, but junior John Genkos  (Worcester, Mass.) knocked down a three-pointer, cutting the Owls lead to two points (76-74) with 29 second remaining.

Quickly fouled on the inbounds pass, senior Anthony Mariano (Naugatuck, Conn.) made both of his free throws to push the Owls lead up to 78-74 with 26 seconds to play.  Junior Montel Wolcott (New Haven, Conn.) and Martin hit free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.

Sophomore Tom Doyle (Wallingford, Conn.) scored 14 points and Martin finished with 11 points for Keene State.

Sophomore Alex Rodriques (Fall River, Mass.) scored 15 points, sophomore Mike Rotando (Point Pleasant, N.J.) had 14 points and Laga finished with 10 points for UMD.

Keene State shot 46% from the field (28-61), 5-14 (36%) from behind the arc and 20-32 (63%) from the line.  KSC had a 42-40 edge on the boards.

Keene State host Plattsburg State on Tuesday (7 p.m.).