NORTH DARTMOUTH, MASS. 1/18/14 – Sophomore Nate Howard (Cheshire, Conn.) netted a career high 27 points to go with a team high eight rebounds, but it couldn't prevent Keene State College from dropping a high-scoring 103-90 Little East Conference men's basketball game to UMass-Dartmouth at the Tripp Athletic Center on Saturday.   Howard had a very productive day for the Owls, hitting 9 of his 11 shots from the field and nine of his 13 free throw attempts.

Keene State (5-9, 2-3 LEC) saw its modest two game winning streak come to an end.  UMass-Dartmouth (10-5, 3-2 LEC) has won four of its last five games.

Howard was one of four Owls to finish in double figures.  Junior Tom Doyle (Wallingford, Conn.) and sophomore Tre'Tipton (Stamford, Conn.) each had 13 points while freshman Lucas Hammel (Methuen, Mass.) tied his season high with 12 points to go with six assists.

Freshman Ryan Walsh (North Dighton, Mass.) scored 29 points; classmate Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Mass.) added 20 points and sophomore Wale Abraham (Lynn, Mass.) grabbed a game high 11 rebounds and had five blocks to lead the Corsairs.

The Owls took an early lead in the game, but couldn't hold off the Corsairs.  KSC freshman Matt Ozzella (Medway, Mass.) beat the buzzer with a lay-up as KSC trailed 47-43 at the half.

Falling behind by 13 points (56-43) after a three-pointer by Walsh, KSC went on a 11-2 run later in the half to cut the lead to four points (68-64) on a lay-up by Doyle at the 10:26 mark.

The Owls got no closer as the Corsairs went back up 85-71 with 5:07 remaining.

KSC shot 33-73 (45%) from the field and hit six of its 15 shots behind the arc.  There were 18-28 from the line (64%).  UMD scored 28n of its points at the line (28-35, 80%) out-rebounded the Owls 49-39. 

Keene State is at Eastern Conn. on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) for a LEC game.