KEENE, N.H. – With four players finishing in double-figures including a team-best 18 points from Tom Doyle the Owls of Keene State College handed men's basketball a 77-68 Little East Conference loss Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gym.

The loss drops the Beacons record to 5-12, 0-7 in conference play.  For the Owls they improved to 6-10, 3-4 in the conference as they remain in the top-4 in the standings.

For the Beacons Omar Benabicha (Saugus, Mass.) put together a strong performance as he matched the game-high dropping in 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, which included three 3-pointers and a 1-for-2 performance at the line.  The sophomore also managed a pair of steals and one assist.

Luc Ulysse (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had his best game to-date with the Beacons as the junior finished with 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds.  Off the bench forward Carl Joseph (Brockton, Mass.) had a strong second half after going 0-for-8 in the first 20 minutes of play.  The Brockton native ended the contest with 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting and also had six free throws.  He finished with four rebounds, one block, two steals, and four assists.

As a team, the Owls shot 43.1% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc.  The Beacons kept it close the score close in the first half thanks in part to the long ball.  UMass Boston shot 71.4% from behind 3-point range and only 28.1% from inside the arc.  They would then close out the contest shooting 53.3% from 3-point range.  They also had their best overall showing at the line as they finished 14-for-20 from the charity strip.

The Owls dominated the boards (50-39), which allowed them to keep the lead on the scoreboard in the second half.  Nate Howard posted the game's only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Nick Gagliolo finished second on the team in scoring with 14 points as he shot 5-for-6, 2-2 from 3-point range.

The Beacons return to action on Tuesday when they travel to the University of Southern Maine for a 7:30 p.m. conference game.