KEENE, N.H.  –  DeVon Beasley scored 21 points off of the bench to lead four players in double figures as the Keene State College Owls defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 82-72 in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium. 

         With the win, Keene State remains undefeated in the Little East at 3-0 and improves to 3-7 overall. Southern Maine is now 0-4 in the LEC and 5-7 overall. 

         Beasley scored eight of his game-high 21 in the first half as the Owls used their 10-point opening half cushion (41-31) to their advantage to earn the win. Beasley was 4-for-11 from the field with three three-pointers and made 10-of-13 from the free throw line. Jeff Hunter added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Miguel Prieto and James Anozie each had 10 points. 

         Seniors Derek Haney and Jay Roberts led Southern Maine with 17 points each, with Roberts snagging a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds.  Sophomore Jacobe Thomas added 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot, while junior DJ Anderson tossed in 13 points and seven rebounds off of the bench. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Both teams were fairly statistically even in the first half with Keene shooting a slightly better 40.0 percent (14-for-35) from the field compared to USM's 39.3 percent (11-for-28). 
•   Leading the Huskies by four points, 33-29, with 2:06 to play after a three from USM's Roberts, the Owls put some distance between the teams with an 8-2 run to close out the half.  A three from Nick Redden with five seconds left in the half game the Owls a 41-31 lead at the break. 
• USM cut the lead back just a single point, 48-47, in the opening minutes of the second half with a 15-7 run.  Haney, Roberts and Thomas all factored in the run led by seven points from Thomas.
• Both teams went back and forth and KSC led 52-48 with 13:26 to play before rattling off an 11-6 run to claim a 65-54 lead with 5:18 to play. USM whittled the lead down to six on a three from Keenan Hendricks and a free throw from Thomas for a 66-60 deficit with 3:33 to go, but Keene responded with five straight points and then got enough out of the free throw line to hold for the win 82-72. 

\UP NEXT: 

         Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College on Tuesday (7:30 pm) in Little East Conference action.   

–cac–