KEENE, N.H--Ty Nichols, Jeff Lunn, and Lucas Hammel all scored in double-figures as the No. 19 Keene State College men's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with an 87-60 win over Southern Vermont College on Tuesday night at Spaulding Gym.

Records

• Keene State: 1-0
• Southern Vermont: 0-1

Tale of the Tape

• Nichols and Lunn both fell one point short of career highs;  Nichols had 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting with five rebounds, five assists, and a blocked shot.  Lunn added 21 points with nine boards.  Hammel added 11 points, four assists, and four rebounds.
• Matt Ozzella pulled down a game high 15 rebounds, 12 of them on the defensive glass, and passed out five assists.  
• The Owls held a dominating edge on the boards, outrebounding the Mountaineers 54-40, including 41-27 on defense.  Keene State also shot 16-for-22 (72.7%) from the free throw line while Southern Vermont made just 9-for-23 (39.1%) from the charity stripe.
• Rayshawn Taylor had a team high 16 points, and Nate Goldsmith added 14 for the Mountaineers.

First Half Highlights

• The teams traded baskets in the early going, as Nichols hit a three in transition for a 12-8 lead, but Taylor responded on the next possession, part of a 7-0 run that gave the Mountaineers a 15-12 lead with 14:26 left.
• The Owls responded with an 8-3 run over the next five minutes, fueled by six points from Lunn, and Nichols' three point play at the 8:53 mark put the Owls up 23-22.  
• Southern Vermont hit back with a run of their own, going up 30-28 on Goldsmith's layup.  Nichols tied the game with a pair of free throws, and the Owls scored 10 of the next 15 points to go up 40-35 at halftime.

Second Half Highlights

• Keene State began to pull away early in the second half, as Ozzella fed Wright for a transition layup, and Nichols stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored for a 47-39 advantage.
• The Mountaineers called a timeout, but Ozzella forced another turnover on the next possession and Nichols hit an arcing three from the top of the key that made it 50-39.
• Damon Daniel cut the lead to 10 (46-36) with 13:06 left, but the Mountaineers could not get closer, as KSC went up 69-56 on a free throw by Lunn, and stretched the lead to 79-58 when Jaquel Edwards knocked down a three from the right wing.  
• Charles McClain gave the Owls their biggest lead with time running out, connecting on a layup that set the final margin.

Up Next

• Keene State heads to the Empire State for the Mayor's Cup, hosted by Hartwick College. The Owls will take on the host Hawks on Friday night at 8 p.m.
• Southern Vermont will also be in action on Friday night, taking on Bowdoin College at the Hampton Inn Classic at UMass Dartmouth.