Box Score KEENE, N.H. -- The Keene State College men's basketball team put to rest a futility streak of eight straight regular-season losses at the hands of Eastern Connecticut State University with a 75-49 Little East Conference victory over the conference-leading Warriors Wednesday night at Spaulding Gymnasium.
Ranked sixth in this week's NCAA Division III Northeast Region poll, Eastern (16-8, 10-3 LEC) had its two-game conference lead sliced to one over the University of Southern Maine, while Keene (14-10, 7-6 LEC) secures a first-round LEC tournament home game by gaining a split of the season series with the Warriors for the first time since 2012 and defeating Eastern in the regular season after eight consecutive losses.
A 15th consecutive victory Saturday over UMass Boston (last in the conference) in Boston gives the Warriors their third straight outright LEC regular-season title, fourth in the last five years and the tournament's No. 1 seed. The Warriors, who defeated the Beacons, 75-57, Jan. 16 at Geissler Gymnasium, have already been guaranteed no worse than a share of the regular-season title with the University of Southern Maine, which dumped visiting Plymouth State University Wednesday, 89-76.
Eastern trailed from start to finish as the Owls connected on their first three shots to jump to a 7-0 lead and cruised to their fifth straight LEC home victory, completing their regular-season home record at 11-2. Eastern trailed by 11 at halftime and Keene's 10-4 run in the opening five minutes of the second half pushed the hosts' lead to 17, 44-27.
Keene's starters outscored Eastern's starters 70-28, with Matt Ozzella, Nate Howard and Nate Stitchell (4-of-5 from three-point range) each totaling 18 points for the winners. Senior guard Trachone Preston (Enfield) was Eastern's only starter in double figures. He finished with 14 points but was 0-of-7 from three-point range. Junior center David Canny (Torrington) came off the bench for ten points and six rebounds in 17 minutes. Keene outscored Eastern 19-8 from the foul line, taking 17 more free throws than the Warriors.
All three of Eastern's LEC losses this year have come on the road after the Warriors had won the first meeting at Geissler Gym, two of those home victories coming in easy fashion. Although Eastern had won by only two against Keene Jan. 27, the Warriors led by nine with three minutes left.
