KEENE, N.H. – Fifth year center Jeff Hunter posted 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting and 20 rebounds for another double-double to pace all five starters in double-figures as the Keene State College men's basketball team moved up two spots in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll and then beat Westfield State University 86-73 in a rare Monday night contest at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Records

• No. 5 Keene State:  7-1
• Westfield State:  4-3

Postgame Interview (Coach Hastings)
Sullivan Tire Player of the Game Interview (Tahmeen Dupree)
Keene State Athletic Director Marty Testo Halftime Interview

How It Happened
Playing a team that features length and athleticism, the Owls used their defense early to build a lead while their offense sputtering 34 percent in the opening half) and then used their offense to maintain the advantage as they pulled away for their sixth consecutive win.  Despite having six shots swatted, and making only 14-of-41 shots in the first half, KSC still carried a 39-28 lead into the locker room, and never trailed after the opening six minutes when they were down 11-10.  The Owls opened the second half on an 8-4 push in less than three minutes to open a 47-32 lead, and a triple from Mason Jean Baptiste with 13:36 left kept the edge at 52-38.  Westfield hit back with a 12-4 run of their own over the next two and a half minutes to stay within six, but Tahmeen Dupree's putback stopped the surge, and two minutes later KSC was back up 13 (63-50) on a layup from Nate Siow off Dupree's feed.  The lead did not drop below double-digits for the final 9:44.  Westfield was as close as 11 for the final time with 5:26 remaining, after which Octavio Brito canned a jumper and Alonzo Linton swatted Juju Omot and made a layup on the other end to make it 74-59 at the 4:52 mark.  Brito drained a triple to answer, and then a Linton transition bucket and Hunter left-handed finish later had KSC up 19 (81-62).  The lead was as high as 20 (83-63) before Westfield finished on a 10-3 run over the final 1:26 to set the final margin, including two cosmetic baskets in the final 23 seconds.

Although it might not have been KSC's best shooting night overall – though they did shoot 48 percent in the final 20 minutes – they still placed all five starters in double-figures, and once the Owls got it going, Westfield did not have many answers, including being outscored 52-36 in the paint and 28-16 off fastbreaks.  Hunter's 20/20 game was his second this year.  He also had three assists and helped KSC enjoy a 50-36 rebounding edge that included 15 offensive boards.  Siow had an impressive effort, tallying 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, seven assists, and four rebounds – and a number of fancy finishes around the rim.  He even swatted a layup try by Lid Moreland in the opening 26 seconds of the game.  Brito chipped in 14 points despite only 3-for-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, while Linton (14 pts., 6-16 FG) and Dupree (10 pts., 5-11 FG, 7 reb., 5 asst.) also joined the double-figures group.

Doug Alves led Westfield State with 17 points and made 5-of-11 from the floor to go along with 3-of-6 triples, several of which kept the visiting Owls hanging around in the first half every time it looked like KSC might begin pulling away.  He also grabbed three rebounds and had two assists.  Ten of his points came in the opening 20 minutes (4-7 FG, 2-3 3-PT).  With Keene State leading 32-23 following a Hunter swished triple and threatening to pull away in the final three minutes of the half, Alves answered with a three of his own on the other end.  Then Linton drained a three for KSC, but Alves boarded a miss and scored inside with 1:20 left to make it 35-28.  Linton and Siow scored in the paint in the final minute to push the lead to 11 at the break.

An 8-0 burst early helped KSC take some control back after they saw a 6-2 lead turn into a 9-8 deficit, as Aronson and Brito made triples on consecutive possessions to finish off the run for an 18-11 lead at the 12:31 mark.  The Owls then missed their next three shots and had a turnover, and Westfield eventually was within 22-18 with 7:56 left on layups by Dominic Strother and Brendan Hamilton.  Kuany Teng brought the visitors back within one possession (24-21) about a minute later, but Spencer Aronson responded with a trey and the Owls slowly pulled away from there.  KSC limited Westfield, a 44 percent shooting team entering the night, to just a 31 percent showing in the first half.

Lid Moreland (4-12 FG), leading scorer Brendon Hamilton (5-12 FG), and Juju Omot (5-9 FG) each scored 12 points for the visiting Owls.  Hamilton grabbed nine rebounds and had six blocks.

Inside the Paint

• Through eight games, Hunter's stat line includes 159 points (19.9 per game), 111 rebounds (13.9 per game), 22 assists, 14 blocks, and 63 percent shooting from the field.
• Siow has scored in double-figures in two of the last three games, totaling 30 points on 14-for-19 shooting in wins over Albertus Magnus College last Tuesday and tonight.
• KSC has won both all-time meetings in a series that only began last year with an 86-71 win on the road.
• Keene State had a 21-9 assist-to-turnover ratio, assisting on 60 percent of their made field goals (35).

Up Next

• KSC will travel to Plymouth State University (4-4, 0-1 LEC) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, December 6.  The Panthers lost 100-51 at Western Connecticut State University in their conference opener and have lost three straight.
• Westfield State hosts Anna Maria College (4-5, 0-1 GNAC) on Wednesday (December 6) at 7:00 p.m.  The Owls have dropped back-to-back games (losing at Clark University 89-77 on December 2) after starting the season 4-1 with three double-digit wins and only a 79-61 loss to Division I Dartmouth College.