KEENE, N.H. – It is always interesting what can transpire in weekend tournaments in early season college basketball across all three divisions.  Back-to-backs, short preparation, and close games provide all kinds of challenges for teams and coaching staffs, especially those getting used to each other - of which the Keene State College men's basketball team is.  Chalk this one up as a big success for the Owls, who began washing away an 0-3 start by going 2-0, including a 66-62 upset of nationally-No. 19 ranked Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.

Highlights
Postgame Interview (Coach Enright)
Postgame Interview (Jordan Cooper)

Facing their third nationally-ranked team in their opening five games, KSC (2-3) forced 10 WPI (4-1) turnovers in the second half and limited the Engineers to just one offensive rebound over the final 20 minutes (and four for the game) to win the Keene State Invitational presented by the Best Western Plus Keene.  Junior Bridgewater College (Va.) transfer Jordan Cooper was a menace and played a big role in the win, scoring a team-best 10 points while not missing a shot (3-3 FG, 2-2 3-PT, 2-2 FT) in the second half as the Owls never trailed.  The North Carolina native hit a trey on KSC's first possession out of the locker room to give his team a 32-29 lead as the Owls opened the half on a 7-0 run that later extended to 11-2 to put the home team up nine (40-31) with 16:58 to go.

That early surge proved big as KSC warded off the Engineers – a Sweet 16 team from a season ago – down the stretch.  WPI drew within three at the 14:32 mark after Tao Schreiber made three at the foul line, but Leo Chaikin answered with a huge offensive rebound and putback while being fouled to make it a six-point game again.  The Owls led 47-39 with 13:35 to go and seemed to be in control, but WPI – as has been the staple of their program – kept grinding and refused to go away, tying the game three minutes later (49-49) on Justin Molen's layup.  But the Owls never wavered, always making the next play to pull it out.  Impressive freshman Allyn Wright stole Molen's pass in the backcourt right near KSC's basket and laid it in for a 53-49 advantage with 9:33 on the clock.  He then knifed inside for a crafty lefthanded finish three minutes later for a five-point (58-53) edge.  Cooper followed with a huge triple with 4:52 on the clock to push the Owls back in front by eight as KSC forced WPI to miss five straight shots and turn the ball over twice in the pivotal four-minute span.

The Engineers got back within one possession with 3:15 left as Molen scored inside to make it 61-58, but the Owls forced two misses and a turnover on their next three trips.  KSC could not get the big offensive punch to put it away – instead relying on their defense, which held WPI to two made field goals in the last nine minutes (one being a two they let them take with five seconds left).

It was a one-point game (61-60) after Molen's two free throws with 29 seconds left, but the Engineers were forced to foul with the shot clock off and Joshua Williams sank two from the line to make it 63-60 Owls.  KSC then pestered the Engineers at the three-point arc on the ensuing possession, with the visitors unable to get anything until the Owls let Nicholas Margetson have a two-point layup with five seconds left.  Mitch Shettles was then fouled on the inbound and made his two free throws to keep KSC in front by three.  Following a timeout from Owls head coach Steve Enright, who is 15-1 at Spaulding Gymnasium, Williams intercepted Molen's long baseball pass down the court and made one of two to provide KSC an uplifting, and resume-building, victory.

Two days, two games, and two wins – and the Thanksgiving turkey will taste a lot better for the Owls this week, who downed Nichols College 87-72 behind Shettles' 26 points on Friday night for their first win.  The Bison went on to rebound and downed St. Joseph's College (Maine) in an 81-79 nailbiter in Saturday's consolation contest.

Today, the Owls were paced by Cooper's 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting including 2-of-3 from distance and 2-of-2 at the line.  Chaikin (3-8 FG, 6-7 FT) added 12 points and nine rebounds (four offensive) while Williams (4-11 FG, 3-4 FT) also had 12.  Wright (4-8 FG, 2-4 3-PT) added 10 points off the bench, which was bolstered by Ryan Blakey, who returned from an injury to score six points in six spot minutes.

Molen led WPI with 19 points (5-11 FG, 2-4 3-PT, 7-9 FT), 13 rebounds, and five assists while Nathan Bledsoe had 15 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 4-4 FT).  The Engineers hit three triples within the first five minutes as they led 11-5 early, but KSC limited them to just five threes over the remainder of the game.  The Owls also had a 32-27 edge on the glass.  WPI, who has won at least 20 games in five consecutive full seasons, was also forced into 17 turnovers to go along with being held to a season-worst 38 percent shooting effort.

KSC will host fourth-ranked Tufts University (2-2) on Sunday, November 30 at 1:00 p.m.  The Owls and Jumbos have played two games decided by a combined seven points – both Tufts victories – in the last two regular seasons after the Owls bounced them from the NCAA tournament in the second round in 2023.