Keene, N.H.--Senior forward Benjamin Vezele (Providence, RI) had 29 points, five boards four steals and two blocks as the Rhode Island College men's basketball team fell, 84-80, in Little East action played at Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
Keene State College 84, Keene State 80
Rhode Island College (16-8, 9-6 LEC)
Keene State College (9-14, 7-7 LEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
• A Vezele layup and a pair of three-pointers from junior guard Keyshaun Jacobs (Lynn, MA) and junior forward Tim Deng (Portland, ME) gave the Anchormen a quick, 8-0, lead causing KSC to call timeout 1:44 into the game.

• A pair of Jacobs free throws gave the Anchormen their largest lead of the half, 42-29, before taking a 10-point, 42-32, lead into the halftime intermission.

• Jacobs, Vezele, Deng and freshman guard Shion Darby (Peekskill, NY) all scored 10 points in the opening half for the Anchormen. 

• A senior guard Jonatan Batista (Providence, RI) trey gave the Anchormen a 14-point, 48-34, lead in the early stages of the second half.

• Freshman guard Shion Darby (Peekskill, NY) made a jumper with 8:10 left in the game to stake the visitors to a game-high 16-point, 73-57, lead. 

• The Owls got the deficit under double digits, 78-71, with 3:28 on a junior guard DeVon Beasley (Andover, MA) three-pointer. 

• Keene tied the game at 80 on another Beasley trey with 1:04 left. A pair of RIC fouls down the stretch led to four Owl free throws to end the game. 

• Darby (16), Jacobs (15) and Deng (14) all finished in double digits.

BY THE NUMBERS
• RIC shot 40 percent (25-for-62) from the field, 39 percent (10-for-26) from three-point land and 95 percent (20-for-21) from the charity stripe.

• KSC shot 54 percent (31-for-57) from the field, 37 percent (7-for-19) downtown and 83 percent (15-for-18) from the charity stripe. 

WHAT'S NEXT
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will continue Little East play at home vs. Western Connecticut on Wednesday, Feb. 15 (7:30 p.m.).