KEENE, N.H. – The Little East Conference champion Keene State College men's basketball team, in the midst of a 26-1 campaign, got some good news on Monday afternoon when they learned that Spaulding Gymnasium was selected as a host site for the first and second rounds of the 2023 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament this weekend, Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4.



Keene State will host Baruch College on Friday at 5:30 p.m., and this weekend will mark the first time the Owls have hosted "March Madness" on their home court since 2007 when they crushed then-Rivier College 81-47 in the first round.  KSC also dismantled Babson College 79-55 in the second round of the 2004 tournament at Spaulding Gymnasium.  Each of those seasons produced an Owl run, with Keene State reaching the Elite 8 in 2004 and Sweet 16 in 2007.  Since then, the Owls have done most of their damage on the road, going through New Jersey twice to reach the second weekend.  In 2016, KSC knocked out host Stockton University and then eliminated Middlebury College to reach the Sweet 16 before beating Amherst College and host and 5th-ranked Ramapo College a year later.  The Owls then upset second-ranked Christopher Newport University 68-64 at Babson to reach the Elite Eight before falling to the eventual national champions.

KSC set a new program record for wins in a season this past Saturday when they grinded past Western Connecticut State University 83-79 in overtime for their second straight Little East Conference tournament title, fifth since 2015, and sixth overall.  Nate Siow finished with 19 points while tournament Most Outstanding Player Jeff Hunter tied for the national lead in double-doubles (22) in posting a 14 point and eye-popping 25 rebound stat line.

The Owls enter the tournament being led by Octavio Brito, who averages 20.7 points per game on 49 percent shooting including 45 percent from three-point land, and Hunter, who averages 18.6 points per game and 14 rebounds per contest.  KSC overcame a rare off game from Brito on Saturday, who has scored 20 or more points 14 times.

Keene State has made the NCAA tournament now five times under head coach Ryan Cain, who has a 78-19 career mark at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Tufts University (19-7, 6-4 NESCAC) and Widener University (19-8, 11-5 MAC Commonwealth) round out the weekend pod, with the Pride and Jumbos to square off at Spaulding Gymnasium on Friday at 3:00 p.m.  Tufts was an at-large selection out of the NESCAC after falling in the semifinal round of their conference tournament to eventual winner Hamilton College, while Widener won their league tournament by beating Hood College 73-62 at home before going on the road to down Alvernia University 74-69.
The two winners from Friday will square off with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

All games will be streamed by the Owls Media Network at www.littleeast.tv and our YouTube page @KeeneStateOwls.

Ticket information will be available later this week.  Stay tuned to keeneowls.com for continued updates!