KEENE, N.H. - Despite a team-high 14 points from junior guard Jalen Jackson (Brick, N.J.), the Western Connecticut State University men's basketball team suffered its first loss of the season in overtime as they were edged at sixth-ranked Keene State College, 71-68, in a Little East Conference battle on Saturday night at Spaulding Gym.

With the loss, the Wolves - who also received votes in this weeks D3Hoops.com poll - dropped to 10-1 overall and 2-1 in league play, while the Owls remained undefeated and moved to 13-0 and 5-0.

Senior forward Ryan Alkins (Queens, N.Y.) added 13 points to go along with nine rebounds and a team-high four steals. Classmate forward Jaheim Young (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Keeshawn Jones (Middletown, N.Y.) chipped in with 12 points apiece. Young also snagged nine boards.

Spencer Aronson paced the hosts with a game-high 18 points, while Jeff Hunter added a double-double with 13 points and 13 off the glass. 

Things did not look good in the first half for the Wolves. The Owls opened the game to seize a 21-9 advantage when Mason Jean Baptiste drilled a three-pointer. The hosts widened the gap to 17 when Mike Carothers canned a trifecta late in the stanza. They would hold a 34-19 lead at the break.

The second half was a different story. WestConn erupted with a 10-0 run out of the gate. Jackson put the finishing touches on the run when he converted a three-point play after being fouled while powering home a layup.

The Wolves tied it up at 41-41 midway thru the period when Jackson went coast-to-coast for another layup. After capturing the lead, the Wolves extended the advantage to 58-48 when Alkins scored in the paint with 3:18 remaining in regulation.

However, Keene State rallied with an 8-0 run down the stretch. Aronson wrapped up the spurt when he netted a shot from beyond-the-arc, deadlocking the count out 61-61 with 29 ticks left on the clock. The Wolves attempted to run the clock down for a final shot but turned it over and the Owls got off a long shot that missed before the buzzer sounded, forcing the extra session.

Keene took the early lead in overtime. Alkins would sink a free throw with 12 seconds left, slicing the deficit to 70-68. The Wolves were then forced to foul and the Owls knocked down just one of their two shots from the stripe to make it 71-68, leaving the door open for the guests. Jackson was able to hoist up a three-point attempt to tie but it did not go down and the hosts escaped with the victory.

WestConn will look to begin another win streak when they host LEC foe UMass Dartmouth on Monday at 5 p.m.