WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Octavio Brito poured in a game-high 27 points to be named the tournament Most Outstanding Player and the nationally No. 10 ranked Keene State College men's basketball team used a timely 15-2 run over a seven-minute stretch late in the second half to lock up No. 25 Williams College, eventually posting a 75-71 win over the Ephs at Chandler Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon as part of the Purple & Gold Classic.

  Neither team led by more than five points over the first 36 minutes of the game until Mitch Shettles drilled a key three-pointer to put the Owls (3-0) up 67-59 with 3:13 to go, the exclamation point to a burst of 13 consecutive points as KSC flipped a 59-54 deficit into a commanding lead, holding the Ephs scoreless for nearly seven minutes.  Justin Belcher ended the drought for the hosts and got them back within two possessions, but Brito answered with a jumper to restore an eight-point lead with 2:39 to go and drove to

the foul line for a pull-up jumper with 1:13 remaining to make it 71-65.  Williams went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe and chipped the deficit back to one possession (71-69) with 27 seconds to go, but Spencer Aronson made a pair at the line to keep the Ephs at bay.  The home team would miss a pair of three-pointers on their ensuing possession as the clock ticked under 10 seconds.  Sammy Cooley was fouled after their second offensive board of the trip, but missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Brito made two at the line to conclude an MVP weekend at the classic, finishing with 57 points (19-35 FG, 9-18 3-PT, 10-12 FT), 21 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and four steals in a pair of victories.

Williams (3-1) led by five one time in the first half, and matched that advantage three times in the second, but after Alex Lee's jumper with 9:39 left put the home team up 59-54, KSC limited them to just a 1-for-10 mark from the floor over the next seven minutes to charge in front thanks to a 15-2 run in which they were 5-for-10 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep.  Five different Owls contributed key buckets in that stretch, including a go-ahead triple by Mason Jean Baptiste with 6:57 left, a layup by Nate Siow two minutes later to make it 64-59, and then Shettles' three that gave KSC their biggest lead of the game.  After shooting only 3-for-14 from deep in the opening 20 minutes, a big reason why the Ephs carried a 34-32 lead into the locker room, the Owls connected on 7-of-15 (47 percent) from distance in the second half.  KSC also outrebounded Williams 21-16 after the break, including 8-4 on the offensive end.

Aronson chipped in key points in the second half, matching Brito with 11 points while making all three of his long-distance attempts, both free throws, and adding three rebounds.  He twice gave the Owls the lead, including once in the opening minute out of the locker room and then a 41-40 advantage with 17:03 to go.  There were six lead changes in the opening six minutes until Williams assumed their game-high tying lead, which was washed away by KSC's defensive effort that held the Ephs to just three field goals and 21 percent shooting in the final 9:46.

"I thought our defense kept us in the game in the first half when we were missing some layups and shots weren't falling," said Owls head coach Steve Enright.  "Our ball pressure disrupted their rhythm.  In the second half we were able to make some threes and Spencer Aronson provided a big burst in the beginning and Mitch banged a timely one late to give us breathing room."

"We were able to get some key stops down the stretch, and guys stepped up and made plays.  We need to clean up the late-game execution a bit, but the game had a March-type feel to it and I thought we responded well to some adversity and breakdowns throughout the 40 minutes.  I'm excited to see this group continue to grow."

It was the first meeting between the sides since December 7, 2011 and marked KSC's first win in Williamstown in five tries.  The most notable game for the Owls at Chandler Gymnasium came in the 2004 Elite Eight, when the then-defending national champion Ephs pulled away with a 21-10 run at the end after KSC had drawn within four in their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III tournament.  The Owls had upset third-ranked University of Rochester 82-79 on the same court to get the chance to take on Williams, who eventually was nipped by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 84-82 in the national championship one year after edging Gustavus Adolphus College 67-65 for their own title.

Last year, both sides reached the Sweet 16 and trekked to Guilford College in North Carolina, with the Owls beating Marymount University 82-76 and Eastern University 109-85 at home to advance and Williams taking out No. 18 DeSales University 77-51 and host No. 9 State University of New York at Oswego 79-77.

KSC finished with four in double-figures on this day, with Brito's 27-point, 15-rebound double-double (9-19 FG, 3-8 3-PT, 3 asst., 3 blk.) leading the way.  Wesley Odiase added 14 points (4-6 FG, 6-8 FT) and three assists while Jean Baptiste had 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists.  Aronson scored in double-figures for the second time in as many outings this season (he sat out the Thomas game).  He is 7-for-14 from three and 6-for-6 at the foul line overall.

Williams finished with five in double-figures, paced by 20 points and four rebounds by Alex Lee (7-12 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 4-4 FT).  Hudson Hansen added 13 points (6-10 FG), two rebounds, and two steals.  Brandon Roughley had 11 points, though on 4-for-14 shooting, and nine rebounds.  Williams had allowed opponents to make just 7-of-44 from three in their opening three games before KSC finished 10-of-29 today.  It was also the first time the Ephs were outshot from the field on the season.

Through three games, KSC is shooting 81 percent (66-82) at the foul line and has 45 assists as a team to just 20 turnovers (opponents have 40 assists and 52 miscues).

Keene State now has 20 wins over nationally ranked teams since February of 2001, 18 of them coming since 2007.

The Owls will host their long-awaited home opener two days after Thanksgiving, this Saturday (November 30) when they welcome the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (4-1) for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.  KSC has won three straight and four of six in the series.

2024 Williams Purple & Gold Classic (Chandler Gymnasium - Williamstown, Mass.)
Saturday, November 23
Game 1 (3:00 p.m.): No. 25 Williams 85, Vermont State Castleton 36
Game 2 (5:00 p.m.): No. 10 Keene State 109, Thomas (Maine) 78
Sunday, November 24
Game 3 (1:00 p.m.): Thomas (Maine) 85, Vermont State Castleton 80
Game 4 (3:00 p.m.): No. 10 Keene State 75, No. 25 Williams 71