Box Score KEENE, N.H. -- Sophomore Dhalyn Sanders-Dyer (Worcester, Mass.) scored 15 points and dished off six assists to lead four players in double figures, as UMass Dartmouth overcame a six-point halftime deficit to post an 80-77 Little East Conference men's basketball victory over Keene State Wednesday evening at Spaulding Gymnasium.
The visiting Corsairs (10-6, 5-2 LEC) trailed by 11 points late in the first half before whittling that deficit to 37-31 at the break, but the host Owls (5-10, 4-3 LEC) scored the first six points after intermission to take a 12-point advantage on sophomore Jeric Cichon's (Springfield, Mass.) lay-in 1:41 into the second half. UMass Dartmouth responded with a 19-6 run of its own in less than six minutes to take the lead for good (50-49) on a pair of Sanders-Dyer free throws, as the Corsairs used 13 unanswered points to extend that margin to 10 (59-49) on freshman Taylor Carlson's (Wareham, Mass.) three-pointer with exactly 11 minutes to go.
UMass Dartmouth maintained no less than a six-point edge heading into the closing minutes of action, but Keene State scored six quick points in a 36-second span to creep to within a bucket (79-77) on sophomore Edwin Ezedonmwen's (Dorchester, Mass.) three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining. The Owls had a pair of chances to take the lead, but after a missed shot and turnover, Sanders-Dyer canned a free throw with nine ticks left on the clock to give the visitors a three-point lead, and Keene State was unable to get off a tying attempt as time expired.
Sophomore Sean Leahy (Hanson, Mass.) added 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks in the win for the Corsairs, who received 10 points and six boards from sophomore Adam Seablom (Lakeville, Mass.) along with 10 points and four assists from sophomore Marcus Azor (Brockton, Mass.). Senior Harry Alexander (Washington, D.C.) chipped in with nine points and five caroms for UMass Dartmouth, which collected a combined 11 points from Carlson and sophomore Matt Valles (Fairhaven, Mass.). The visitors shot 41 percent (29-70) from the field and connected for nine three-pointers on the night, as the Corsairs converted 15 turnovers into 22 points.
Cichon netted a game-high 19 points in the setback for the Owls, who received a double-double effort of 13 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore Nyzair Rountree (Waterbury, Conn.) along with 12 points and seven caroms from freshman Jeff Hunter (Hudson, Mass.). Junior James Anozie (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench for Keene State, which shot 42 percent (32-76) from the floor but hit on just two of 18 attempts from behind the arc for the contest.
UMass Dartmouth entertains Plymouth State in a Little East Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at the Tripp Athletic Center that tips-off at 3:00 pm, while Keene State will be idle until next Wednesday, January 22nd when the Owls venture to Danbury, Conn. for a Little East encounter with Western Connecticut that tips-off at 7:30 pm.
