KEENE, N.H. – Mason Jean Baptiste scored 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting (4-of-8 from long range) in 23 minutes as the Keene State College men's basketball team picked apart Fitchburg State University in a 101-76 blowout Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.
 
Records

• Keene State:  2-0
• Fitchburg State:  1-3

Postgame Interview with Coach Cain  
How It Happened
The Falcons scored the game's opening basket 1:11 in, but the Owls answered with the next six as part of a 12-2 burst in barely over two minutes, and that told the story of the day as KSC was rarely threatened.  The Owls were able to get 11 reserves into the game, all for at least seven minutes, after the starters – led by Jean Baptiste and Jeff Hunter's 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds – combined for 65 points on 26-for-42 shooting.  KSC was ahead by double-digits (21-11) less than eight minutes in after a layup by Jean Baptiste, and Octavio Brito's triple on the next possession made it 24-13.  Jean Baptiste connected from distance halfway through the half for a 29-15 lead, and despite a hiccup on defense by the Owls that helped the Falcons get within 29-22 and later 39-30 on Nathaniel Semedo's layup with 6:23 to go in the half, still carried a 54-35 lead into the locker room.  Consecutive finishes at the rim by Hunter quickly put the lead in double-figures again before Ryan Donahue's cutting layup off a nice feed from Brito made it 45-30. 
 
Keene State put up the final seven points of the opening half to push their advantage to a game-high 19, but that was just the beginning, as the Owls blitzed Fitchburg right out of the locker room with a 14-2 punch in less than three minutes to go ahead 68-37 with 17:15 left.  Five different Owls scored in that stretch, with Hunter putting in another jam and Brito a three before layups by Jean Baptiste and Jeric Cichon.  KSC kept pushing – and scoring – as they went ahead 82-40 not even four minutes later, culminating with Jean Baptiste's final two points of the day and a triple by Ryan Donahue.  After shooting 60 percent (21-for-35) in the first half, Keene State made 12 of their first 16 shots in the second half to actually increase their clip to 65 percent before settling at 53 percent (40-for-76) for the game.  Overall the Owls put up 82 points in the opening 26:15 of the game.  KSC connected on 11-of-29 from long range (38 percent) and limited FSU to 3-for-17 (18 percent) from deep while also forcing 23 turnovers that they turned into a 30-13 points advantage.
 
Siow finished with nine points (4-7 FG, 1-1 3-PT), six assists, and five rebounds.  Jeric Cichon had six points and five assists as KSC saw 14 different players score in the win.  Jalen Morgan and Javon Taylor led Fitchburg State with 13 apiece, but combined for 10 turnovers as the Falcons lost their third straight since a 95-89 season-opening win over New England College and dropped their seventh consecutive road game overall.
 
Inside the Paint

• The Owls racked up 23 more assists after having 21 on opening night, and how have 44 on the season against just 25 turnovers.  They had not recorded consecutive games of 20 or more assists since 2017 when they defeated Rhode Island College 80-64 and the University of Southern Maine 87-70 on February 18 and 21, respectively.  That team went on to reach the Elite Eight.
• Jean Baptiste is 30-of-77 (39 percent) from three in just 11 career games dating back to last season's abbreviated slate.  He is averaging 13.7 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his young career.
• Keene State has won eight straight against FSU, seven in Keene by an average of 20.3 points per game.

Up Next

• The Owls hit the road for the first time this season and will visit Middlebury College for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday, November 16.  The Panthers open their season at Wentworth Institute of Technology tomorrow.  KSC won 93-88 over the then-No. 12 Panthers in their last visit to Vermont in the 2018-2019 season.
• Fitchburg State has their home opener against Rhode Island College (2-0) – their third LEC opponent in the opening five games – on the same night at 6:00 p.m.