KEENE, N.H. (November 15, 2025) – The Western New England men's basketball team powered through the Owls of Keene State College in the Owls' home opener on Saturday afternoon, using 21 points from Matt Houde to claim a 78-73 victory. 

Records:

• Western New England: 3-0
• Keene State College: 0-3

How it Happened:

First Half:

• Keene State had six of the opening eight points of the game, all coming from Wesley Odiase, while Zein Wahdan had the opening bucket for the Golden Bears and the first four WNE points overall. Keene State began its hot shooting in the opening half of the first half, using a Joshua Williams triple to lead 9-4 early on.  Will Laplante III rattled home a triple on an assist from Nate Kasper to get the Golden Bears within four before three straight from the Owls gave Keene a 16-9 lead at the midway point of the half. 
• Matt Houde dropped in five points for the Golden Bears while Avery Mickens hit a triple to get the Golden Bears within one of the KSC lead, trailing 18-17. A back-and-forth midway point of the quarter saw the Golden Bears tied the game three separate times before taking its first lead of the game at the 5:17 mark when Luka Vlajkovic got to the rim and scored while also hitting from distance to grow WNE's lead to 27-22 with 4:22 left in the half. 
• The Golden Bears were able to extend their lead with Vlajkovic, Nate Kasper, and Eddie McCoy helping on the offensive end, seeing WNE's lead sit at nine, 36-27 with two minutes remaining. The Owls found their game in the final two minutes, outscoring the Golden Bears 8-1 to get within two at the break, seeing WNE lead 37-35. 
• WNE shot 42% from the floor and made four triples in the half overall. The Golden Bears made nine free throws. Keene State had similar numbers for WNE, shooting 42% from the floor. 

Second Half:

• Nate Kasper and Matt Houde found offense for the Golden Bears in the first two minutes of the game, Houde hitting from outside and Kasper inside. The two teams traded points through the opening six minutes of the half until WNE got a bucket plus a foul from Zein Wahdan to spark a run of six of the next eight points belonging to the Golden Bears, taking a 50-43 lead. 
• The Golden Bears continued to take it to the Owls in their home opener, going ahead by double-digits for the first time in the game following another layup from Wahdan and free throws from Nate Kasper, leading 60-49 with 9:05 left to play in the game. 
• The Owls inched back into the game for just a moment but couldn't get closer to within six until a late run by the Owls gave WNE a scare. With the Golden Bears ahead by eight, 71-63, Keene State pushed with seven of the next eight points to trail by just two, 72-70, with 40 seconds to play. KSC fouled the Golden Bears, who needed to make free throws to win the game. Nate Kasper, Matt Houde, and Luka Vlajkovic dropped their free throws in enemy territory and iced the game for the Golden Bears, who picked up a 78-73 victory.
• The WNE defense held Keene State to 37% shooting from the floor in the second half and under 40% for the game. WNE shot just over 40% for the game and were led at the free throw line, hitting 26 of 32 shots, 81% overall. 

Inside the Lines:

• Matt Houde shot 6/11, including 2/5 from deep and 7/8 from the free throw line to come away with a team-high 21 points. Houde picked up four rebounds and two assists overall. 
• Luka Vlajkovic was one rebound away from a double-double, scoring 15 points and adding nine rebounds, and four assists in the win.
• Nate Kasper was in double figures for the second time in two games played this year. Nine of Kasper's 12 points came from the free throw line. 
• Zein Wahdan capped off the double-digit scorers for WNE, going 5/5 from the field, scoring 11 points. 
• The Golden Bears were sparked with 27 bench points and 34 points in the paint. 
• Three Owls had 14 points in the game, with Jordan Cooper, Wesley Odiase, and Mitch Shettles doing so. Cooper shot just 3/13 from the floor in the home opener for KSC.
• This is the first win for the Golden Bears over Keene State since 2011. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears open Conference of New England play on Wednesday, November 19, at 7:30 PM, taking on Johnson & Wales University.