Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. - Basketball is back.  After several months of challenging circumstances, the Keene State College men's basketball team - and athletic department as a whole - took one step toward normalcy again when they opened their 2020-2021 season with an exhibition game against Division I University of New Hampshire Wednesday afternoon at Lundholm Gymnasium.  The Owls hung around in the opening half, but a big surge by the Wildcats early in the second half wound up resulting in a 93-54 loss.

Jeric Cichon made 5-of-8 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from deep, to score a team-best 13 points.  Newcomer Nate Siow finished with 12 points and Jeff Hunter 11 along with six rebounds and two blocks.  James Anozie grabbed eight rebounds for the Owls, who saw nine of their 21 rostered players get action in today's contest.  KSC shot 41 percent (12-for-29) in the opening half to UNH's 44 percent (17-for-39), but dipped to just 28 percent after the break while the Wildcats made 20-of-36 in the second half to run away.

Nick Guadarrama and Blondeau Tchoukuiengo each scored 18 points to lead New Hampshire (1-0).  Guadarrama grabbed 10 rebounds.  Jayden Martinez finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds for UNH, who was predicted to finish third in the America East Conference preseason poll while returning 85 percent of the team's points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks from a year ago.

The Owls started off well, as threes by Cichon and Hunter helped put KSC in front 8-6 less than four minutes in.  A pair of three-point plays several minutes later, one from Siow and the other from Cichon, still had Keene State within 20-18 at the 8:23 mark.  Siow, a freshman from Lowell, Mass., connected on a triple with 3:23 left to go until the break to keep the Owls still within one possession (30-27), but UNH got treys of their own from Martinez and Marque Maultsby to go up nine and eventually led 42-31 at halftime.

The Owls struggled to score in the final 20 minutes, and UNH pulled away by going on a 12-0 run over the opening 4:05 of the second half.

Inside the Paint

• The Owls had not played a higher-division opponent since December 19, 2011 when they fell at Nova Southeastern (Division II) 83-70 and had not played a Division I foe since December 9, 2004, a 72-56 loss at Dartmouth.
• KSC and the Wildcats had met once previously in 1997, the Owls' first full year as a Division III member.
• The game officially counted as an exhibition for Keene State, while it was New Hampshire's season opener.
• There are 12 newcomers on this year's roster (Siow, Tyler Dill, Mason Jean Baptiste, Jack Rodriguez, Shea Shackford, Jordan Santos, Shawn Scott, John Packard, Lyndon Prayer, Michael Berthiaume, Spencer Dragone, and Justin Williams).  Four of them saw action in today's contest.

Up Next

• Keep checking keeneowls.com for news on Keene State's schedule.
• New Hampshire will host Bryant University on Tuesday, December 1 at 4:00 p.m.