Owl Women to host UNE in ECAC Basketball Tournament on Wednesday

KEENE, N.H. 3/2/09 - Don't put the basketballs away just yet. The Keene State women's basketball team saw its season extended when it was awarded a berth in the ECAC New England tournament on Monday. The fourth-seeded Owls will host fifth seed the University of New England in a quarterfinal game of the eight-team tournament on Wednesday (7 p.m.). 

Disappointed at missing out on an NCAA tournament bid, KSC Coach Keith Boucher said his team is looking forward to playing in the ECACs.   "We want to represent our conference well and demonstrate the strength of the LEC," he said.  "We're in it to win it."

The victor of Wednesday's game will face the winner between top seed Nichols College and eighth seed Plymouth State on Saturday.  The championship game will be played on Sunday at the highest remaining seed.

There are several similarities between the two teams.  Both the Owls and the Nor'easters bring identical 20-7 records into the tournament after losing semifinal games in their respective conference tournaments.  Keene State lost 61-56 to Eastern Conn. in the LEC tournament while UNE dropped a 78-67 game to Endicott College in the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament.

Keene State and the University of New England faced each other earlier this season in the championship game of the KSC tip-off tournament.  The two teams were tied 37-all at the half before the Owls pulled away to post a 83-69 victory over the Nor'easters, who are coached by former Owl assistant coach Anthony Ewing. 

Keene State is returning to the ECAC tournament for the first time since 2006, when they lost a first-round game to Emmanuel (73-64).  They advanced to the semifinals round of the 2002 before losing to Plymouth State (73-57).  The following year they dropped a quarterfinal game to Colby-Sawyer (52-48).  

The Owls won the ECAC Championship as a Division II member in 1988 and 1989, and also reached the championship game in 1993.  

UNE is making its second trip to the ECACs, they lost to top-seeded Plymouth State, 71-69, in the opening round of the 2003 tournament.