The Keuka College men’s basketball team started the 2025–26 season in commanding fashion Friday night, defeating SUNY ESF 93–57 at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.
Senior Akinlana Popoola (Cleveland, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) led the Wolves with 17 points, while Lamar Lovelace (Rochester, N.Y. / Northeast College Prep) followed with 16. Quinn VanKerkhove (Irondequoit, N.Y. / Irondequoit) added 14, and JT Giannakopoulos (North Royalton, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) chipped in 13 as four Keuka players finished in double figures.
The Wolves opened the game with a 4–0 burst from Makya Morrison (Oneonta, N.Y. / Oneonta) and quickly pulled away thanks to an 11–0 run that built a 24–10 lead. Keuka dominated at the free throw line, hitting 15 of 19 attempts in the first half to take a 50–35 advantage into the break.
After SUNY ESF trimmed the lead to 11 early in the second half, Kevin Felasco (Liverpool, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse) hit a transition three to swing momentum back to Keuka. The Wolves then locked in defensively, holding the Mighty Oaks scoreless for over five minutes during a decisive 19–0 run that sealed the win. VanKerkhove scored seven points during that stretch, while Giannakopoulos added six.
Kaleb Nutifafa (Elmsford, N.Y. / Alexander Hamilton) led Keuka with 12 rebounds as the Wolves outrebounded SUNY ESF 50–33. Amar Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Frederick Douglas Academy) filled the stat sheet with five assists and four steals.
The 93 points marked the most ever scored by Keuka in a season-opening game, and the victory was the first under new Head Coach Tom Wilk.
Keuka (1–0) also improved to 3–0 all-time against SUNY ESF.
Up Next: The Wolves are back in action Saturday afternoon, hosting Buffalo State at 1 p.m. as they look to avenge last season’s 85–73 loss to the Bengals.
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