The Keene State College men’s basketball team is still dancing in the 2016 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship.
The Owls reached the round of 16 after two closewins this past weekend at The Sports Center at Stockton University in Galloway, N.J.
In the opening round, Keene State dispatched the host Ospreys 72-71 in overtime. Junior forward Matt Ozzella hit the go-ahead free throw with three seconds left in overtime. Stockton’s shot at the final buzzer fell short.
Ozzella finished with a team high 18 points; Senior Nate Stitchell added 15 and freshman Ty Nichols had 13 points. Senior center Nate Howard added nine points, 14 rebounds, and six blocked shots.
Keene State was next paired with Middlebury, who had beaten KSC 83-74 at Spaulding Gym back on February 2. Keene State led by double figures for most of the game, until a late Panthers rally brought Middlebury within two with three seconds left.
The Panthers had three shots to send the game to overtime, but none of them fell, sending KSC to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. Howard, Nichols, and junior Jaquel Edwards each totalled 14 points in the game, and Ozzella had 11.
Keene State will next play No. 4 Christopher Newport on Friday, March 11, at Oswego State University. The winner of that will meet the winner of The College of Wooster and Oswego State.
