HARTFORD, Conn. – The Clark University men's basketball team (18-10) battled for 40 minutes against Keene State (23-5) in their 17th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and saw 10 lead changes throughout the game, but ultimately fell 77-68 to the Owls on Friday night from the Ray Oosting Gymnasium.
Senior
Kekoa McArdle became the 32nd player in program history to join the 1,000-point club. This senior class ends their career with four NEWMAC Tournament appearances, two NEWMAC Championship appearances, a NEWMAC Championship, and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Keene State jumped out to an early 9-6 lead sparked by five points from Wesley Odiase and sophomore
Quentin Pridgen paced Clark with a made three-pointer while Taylor made a layup and fellow senior
Bruce Saintilus made a free throw before the first media timeout.
McArdle gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with four unanswered points and Clark held Keene State scoreless for over three minutes before Mitch Shettles connected on a triple to put the Owls in front 12-10. Pridgen buried his second three-pointer of the contest and converted the four-point play with a made free throw after being fouled on the landing to give the scarlet and white a 14-12 edge with 12:17 to go in the first.
Clark's defense continued to disrupt the Owl offense as they forced a pair of turnovers and junior
Reid Neumann buried a triple off a feed from Taylor to push the lead to five just over midway through the first half.
McArdle netted his 1,000th career point with 8:29 remaining in the first with a right-handed hook shot before Octavio Brito connected on a triple to give the Owls a 20-19 lead. McArdle continued to dominate inside with his fourth field goal of the half as the teams continued to trade buckets and a pair of free throws from McArdle kept the deficit at one-point in a 24-23 contest.
Clark then scored the next five points with a made layup from first-year
Boluwasefe John and a pull-up three from Taylor as the Cougars entered the final media timeout of the half up 28-24.
Brito and
Mason Jean Baptiste combined for nine of the contests next 10 points as John buried a free throw for Clark and Shettles scored the final points of the half as Clark trailed 35-29 entering the locker room.
Saintilus scored the first bucket of the second half to bring the Cougars back within four and a made layup from John off a feed from Saintilus and a contested Taylor layup tied the game at 36-36 with 15:47 to play.
Spencer Aronson hit a triple before the first media timeout of the second half before John buried a pair of free throws and another contested Taylor layup kept it a one-point game as both teams continued to trade buckets.
Pridgen gave Clark a 42-41 lead with a layup off a spin before the Owls scored six unanswered points and a layup from John off a pass from senior
Ian Calabrese made it a one possession game at 47-44 with 10:50 remaining.
Taylor made a driving layup to bring the scarlet and white to bring Clark within one and after five unanswered from the Owls, Pridgen buried a triple off a Saintilus feed as the Cougars trailed 52-49 with 8:44 to play.
Jean Baptiste,
Nate Siow, and Brito combined for six of the next eight points of the contest as McArdle made a pair of free throws for Clark before a made free throw from Taylor made it a 58-52 game.
After a triple from Brito, Pridgen hit a step back jumper and a put back layup from John kept it a seven-point contest at 63-56 with 5:21 remaining.
Taylor broke the Owl press and made a layup to bring the scarlet and white back within five and after a made dunk from Odiase, Pridgen drove to the hoop and finished through contact to make it a 65-60 game with 3:29 to play.
Liam Johnston hit a triple with 2:22 to go to push the Owl advantage to eight before Pridgen buried a pair of free throws to bring the deficit back down to six.
After two made free throws from Siow, John threw down a slam off a feed from Saintilus before Johnston connected on a driving layup to extend the lead back to eight at 72-64 with 0:51 remaining.
Taylor drew a foul with 0:38 to play and hit a pair of free throws to bring Clark within six and after two free throws from Siow, Taylor drove to the hoop to make it a 74-68 contest with 0:17 to go.
Aronson sealed the game with two free throws as the Owls took a three possession lead and Brito hit a free throw as Keene State came away with a 77-68 victory.
Clark made 24 shots, grabbed 48 rebounds, dished out 13 assists, and forced 13 turnovers. Pridgen recorded a double-double and tied for the team lead in both points with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Taylor added 18 points, made seven shots, and dished out four assists. He ends his career with 1,452 points, which ranks 13th all-time. McArdle tallied his 12th double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He ends his career with 1,008 points. John registered 13 points and pulled down six rebounds. Saintilus tied for the team-lead with four assists and grabbed five rebounds. He ends his career with 1,560 points, which ranks ninth in program history.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.