KEENE, N.H. - Senior center James Anozie sank a pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining in the second half to give the second-seeded Keene State College men’s basketball team an 80-79 victory over third-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Friday night in the semifinal round of the 2021 Little East Conference (LEC) Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
 
KEENE STATE LEADERS: Anozie was one of four players to score in double-figures for the Owls, finishing the game with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and an 8-for-12 showing at the charity stripe. Sophomore forward Jeff Hunter posted a double-double with team-best totals of 17 points and 16 boards, while freshman guard Mason Jean-Baptiste netted 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor to go with five boards and three assists. Junior guard Jeric Chicon added 11 points with three rebounds and three assists.
 
EASTERN CONNECTICUT LEADERS: Junior guard Tyreice Woods led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and a 3-for-6 performance from three-point range for the Warriors. Sophomore forward Quinton Lott posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, while senior guard Cory Muckle contributed 14 points and nine rebounds on the contest.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Keene State outscored Eastern Connecticut 44-28 in the paint and held a 16-9 edge in second chance scoring. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Owls 35-15 in the contest.
 
NEXT UP: The Owls will face the winner of the semifinal between top-seeded UMass Dartmouth and fourth-seeded Rhode Island College, whose game had to be rescheduled for Monday, March, 1 at 6 p.m. in Dartmouth, Mass. The 2021 LEC Championship Tournament Final will take place Thursday, March 4 at 6 p.m. at the highest remaining seed.