OWL HOOP TEAMS SET FOR FIRST-ROUND LEC TOURNAMENT PLAY

KEENE, N.H. 2/22/10 - The stage is set for the 2010 Little East Conference Basketball tournament and both Keene State men's and women's teams are looking forward to extended runs.

The tournament curtain opens on Tuesday night when the fourth-seeded Keene State women's team (16-8, 8-6 LEC) hosts fifth-seed Rhode Island College (16-9, 7-7 LEC).  The Keene State men (13-12, 6-8 LEC), seeded sixth in the tournament, travel to Willimantic to play the third-seeded Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State University (17-8, 9-5 LEC).  Both games begin at 7 p.m. 

We're fortunate to get the fourth seed and the home game because it easily could have gone to RIC," said KSC Coach Keith Boucher.  "We're playing pretty well right now, so hopefully we'll continue to do that." 

The two teams split during the regular season with the Owl defeating the Anchorwomen (60-55) at Spaulding Gym and dropping a 59-56 road game. 

They're only meeting in the LEC tournament took place in 2008 with KSC defeating RIC (58-46) in a quarterfinals matchup. 

KSC and RIC have never won LEC championships. The Owls reached the finals in 2005 and 2007. 

The Keene State men will be on the road for an LEC opening-round game for the first time since 2000.  Ironically, the Owls lost that game to Eastern Conn. (80-79).

"I'm excited we're on the road.  We actually have a better road record this season, "said KSC Coach Rob Colbert.   "Although we haven't beaten them, we played Eastern well the first time and ran out of gas the second time we played them at home.  "I hope we continue to play loose and hard because that's when we're at our best."

Eastern swept the Owls in the regular season, winning 91-86 at home and 86-67 on the road. 

In addition to 2000, the teams have met two other times in the tournament with KSC prevailing in 2003 (62-61) and last season (100-75).

Keene State has reached the finals six times, winning its lone title in 2004.  The Warriors have advanced to the championship game on three occasions, winning the crown in 1992 and 2000.