Owl women playing for home court on Saturday

KEENE, N.H. 2/18/10 - There's no place like home. 

There will be a lot at stake when the Keene State College women's basketball team tips off against the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Saturday (1 p.m.) at Spaulding Gym in their final home regular season game.  The Owls will be playing for a highly-coveted home court game in the opening-round of the Little East Conference Tournament that begins on Tuesday.

That's what you play for," said KSC Coach Keith Boucher.   "You're goal at the beginning of the season is to be at home at least in the first round of the playoffs. It's very difficult to win three games in a row on the road in our conference.  It's too competitive."

Sitting in fourth place in the LEC, Keene State (15-8, 7-6 LEC) controls its own destiny.  An Owl win over the Corsairs, will bring either Rhode Island College or rival Plymouth State to Spaulding Gym for a quarterfinal game.  If KSC and RIC both lose on Saturday, KSC would still hold the fourth seed.   However, a KSC loss and a RIC win, sends the Owls down to Providence for a quarterfinal game against the Anchorwomen.  

"Sometimes you don't control your own destiny, but we do," said Boucher. "If we win on Saturday, we're home on Tuesday.  If that's not enough motivation, then we shouldn't show up on Saturday." 

You have to go back to the 2004 season to find the last time KSC played an opening-round LEC tournament game on the road.  That year, the Owls made a quick exit from the tournament, falling to UMD 80-64.

Sixth in the LEC, UMass-Dartmouth (10-14, 5-8 LEC) also has a lot riding on Saturday's game.  The Corsairs get the sixth and final seed with a win or a Plymouth State loss. 

The Owls will be facing a formidable UMD that has fought its way back in the LEC tournament picture with key late-season home wins over Western Conn. (57-53) and RIC (60-57). 

Keene State has history on its side.  The Owls own a 22-4 series lead in LEC play against the Corsairs.  KSC has won the last 11 meetings, including a 54-49 victory at North Dartmouth back on Jan. 16.

There is no scenario for the Keene State men's basketball team, which is locked into the sixth spot in the LEC with a 13-11 (6-7 LEC) record. Regardless of Saturday's outcome against UMass-Dartmouth, the Owls will be hitting the road for their tournament opening-round game on Tuesday.  It's the first time since 2000 KSC will be away from Spaulding Gym for a quarterfinal contest.

The question where they will go is another story.  Depending on the logjam between the second-fifth seeds, KSC will either be at Eastern or Western Conn.

Fourth in the LEC, UMass-Dartmouth (16-8, 8-5 LEC) will be looking to lock-up a home first-round tournament game with a win against the Owls.  The Corsairs, who have dropped their last two games, defeated KSC 93-74 at the Tripp Center on Jan. 16.