Owl Basketball Teams Begin 2008-09 Season on Saturday

 KEENE, N.H., 11/12/08 - Keene State College men's and women's basketball teams tip off the 2008-09 season on Saturday. The Keene State men host Williams College at Spaulding Gym at 3 p.m., while the Owl women take on Elmira College at 2 p.m. at the Emerson College Tip-Off Tournament in Boston.

Tied for third in the Little East Preseason poll, the KSC men will be a much different team than the one that finished with a 16-11 record last season. While senior forwards Tyler Kathan (18.1 ppg.), a LEC All-Star last season, and Nate Anderson will play pivotal roles in the team's success, Coach Rob Colbert will face the difficult task of incorporating nine freshmen into his line-up.

"We're going to need time to sort things out," said Colbert, set to start his tenth season on the Owls bench. "We need to find out who's going to play lead roles and who's going to play supporting roles."

A perennial regional power, Williams, under the direction of first-year coach Mike Maker, is a tough opener for the Owls. "It's going to be a learning experience for everybody," said Colbert.

In addition to facing a team with a new coach, The Owls will also have to solve the Eph's deliberate style of play. "They prefer to have a lower scoring game, and we cringe at the thought of that. So it's going to be a battle of wills."

Last year, Williams, which finished its season with a 17-8 mark, defeated Keene State 86-66 in Williamstown. The two teams also met in the finals of the NCAA New England tournament in 2004.

The Keene State women's basketball team is returning to the court after posting a 16-11 record. Coach Keith Boucher, now in his 20th year, says his team is anxious for the season to get under way. "We put in some quality time in the gym, and now it's time to throw up the ball and see what we can do," he said.

The Owls, picked to finish fourth in the LEC preseason poll, welcome back all five starters, including top-scoring juniors Nicole Simmler (12.0 ppg.) and Kristin Degou (10.4 ppg.). "We have a lot of juniors and seniors who have been through the battles," said Boucher. "Hopefully, they're at the stage where they can lead us to a successful season."

Host Emerson College will play Curry College in the second first-round game on Saturday. The consolation and championship games of the tournament will be played on Sunday.