WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Octavio Brito scored 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting including 6-of-10 from long range while also powering down a thunderous posterizing dunk that helped spark a 21-11 run to end the first half to blow the game open as the nationally No. 10 ranked Keene State College men's basketball team rolled to a 109-78 win over Thomas College on Saturday evening at Chandler Gymnasium as part of the Williams College Purple & Gold Classic.

The Owls (2-0) compiled a 17-3 advantage in steals, had 19 assists to only eight turnovers, and outscored the Terriers (2-4) 37-9 off turnovers in the runaway victory.  KSC will now gear up to take on the host No. 25 Ephs on Sunday afternoon in the de facto championship game of the classic, which had predetermined matchups.

Saturday's contest was never in much doubt, as Brito made three triples in 48 seconds to spur a 10-0 run that turned a three-point deficit into a 16-9 lead less than four minutes in, and the Owls led the rest of the way, going up 29-18 halfway through the opening period on a jumper by Mitch Shettles and a three by Mason Jean Baptiste.  Thomas hung around, remaining within nine with 4:38 to go in the half, but Brito posterized Luke Gabloff on a slam while being fouled with 4:25 to go and Keene State was up 21 (55-34) less than two minutes later following treys by Brito and Jean Baptiste.  The Owls carried a 62-43 lead into the locker room, shooting 57 percent.  Brito (9-13 FG, 5-8 3-PT, 4-5 FT) had 27 points in 20 first half minutes.

The lead ballooned to 30 (75-45) as KSC opened the second half with a 12-2 burst in the opening 3:39 and stood at 85-53 with 12:24 left after another Brito three.  Joshua Williams followed with another on the Owls' next possession after Leo Chaikin's block turned into a transition chance.  KSC led by as many as 37 (90-53) with 11:18 to go and got 16 different players at least four minutes of action after halftime.

In addition to Brito, Jean Baptiste (4-11 FG, 3-7 3-PT) finished with 15 points.  Isaac Ogutuga added nine, while Ryan Blakey filled the stat sheet with eight points, seven assists, and six steals.  Through two games, KSC has 25 steals to their opponents' four and has forced 40 turnovers while committing only 11 miscues themselves.

"Good to get win number two," said Owls head coach Steve Enright.  "There are still some things we really need to address defensively and on the glass.  It was nice to get Octavio in a rhythm, and I thought we got a nice lift in bench production particularly from Ryan Blakey with six steals and seven assists as well as Leo Chaikin and Isaac Ogutuga, who gave us a good energetic spark in the minutes they were out there."

The two teams had met only one previous time, a 103-93 Thomas win at Spaulding Gymnasium on November 21, 2009 to win the Noyes Volkswagen Tip-Off tournament that season.

Luke Briggs paced the Terriers with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting including 4-of-6 from three and 7-of-9 at the charity stripe.

For Brito, it marked his eighth career game of at least 30 points and eighth with at least six three-pointers.

The Owls' matchup against the preseason No. 25 Ephs (3-0) will tip-off at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.  Thomas and Vermont State University Castleton, an LEC opponent who fell to Williams 85-36 in the first game of the tournament, will begin at 1:00 p.m.  KSC and Williams have not met since December 7, 2011.  They were both at the Guilford College sectional a season ago, but each were knocked out in the Sweet 16, with the Ephs falling to Christopher Newport University and the Owls to the host Quakers.  This season, Williams has opened with three victories, also beating State Universities of New York at Delhi 62-49 and Oneonta 74-69 previously.