Providence, R.I.—Two days after they suffered their first league loss of the year, three Anchormen scored over 20 points as the Rhode Island College men's basketball team defeated Keene State, 76-60, in Little East action played at The Murray Center on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
Rhode Island College 76, Keene State 60
Rhode Island College (12-3, 5-1 LEC)
Keene State (5-9, 4-2 LEC) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Anchormen defense helped spark the offense in the early stages of the game. RIC opened the game on a 21-8 run over the first eight minutes of action.

• Over the course of the final 7:16 of the first half, RIC held KSC to just six points and scored 16 of its own to take a 43-23 lead into the halftime break.

• Senior forward Ben Vezele (Providence, RI) registered a double-double in the first half with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.

• The second half was controlled by the Anchormen as they built a 27-point lead, 59-32, after a trey from junior guard Keyshawn Jacobs (Lynn, MA) with 12:46 remaining in the contest.

• KSC narrowed the gap to 12 points with just over four minutes remaining in the final frame, but stingy defense by the Anchormen kept the lead safe for RIC.

• The Anchormen used a 10-5 run over the final 3:42 to close out the Owls, 76-60, to improve to 5-1 in LEC play.

• Vezele finished with 23 points, 19 rebounds, two rejections and one assist.

• Jacobs poured in 23 points. Freshman guard Shion Darby (Peekskill, NY) scored a game-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

BY THE NUMBERS
• RIC shot 38 percent (24-for-63) from the field, 33 percent (8-for-33) from three-point land and 77 percent (20-for-26) from the foul line. 

• KSC shot 32 percent (23-for-71) from the field, 20 percent (4-for-20) from three-point range and 53 percent (10-for-19) from the foul line.

• KSC outrebounded RIC, 52-42.

• RIC dished out 13 assists on 24 baskets made. 

WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will continue Little East play at Eastern Connecticut on Wednesday, Jan. 15 (6 p.m.).