The Keuka College men’s basketball team earned its third consecutive Empire 8 Conference victory and fourth win overall with a 65-62 win over SUNY Brockport on Tuesday night at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.
Lamar Lovelace (Rochester, N.Y. / Northeast College Prep) led Keuka College (6-7, 3-1 Empire 8) with 15 points. Kaleb Nutifafa (Elmsford, N.Y. / Alexander Hamilton) scored 11 points, while Akinlana Popoola (Cleveland, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) added 10.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early four-point lead before Keuka responded. Quinn VanKerkhove (Irondequoit, N.Y. / Irondequoit) converted a layup and followed with a three-pointer to put the Wolves back in front. Lamar Lovelace then scored seven straight points as part of a 12-0 Keuka run to give the Wolves a 16-8 advantage. Keuka extended its lead to as many as 11 points in the first half before Brockport chipped away. With the game down to one point with six minutes remaining, Lovelace knocked down a three to regain momentum. Brockport hit two free throws just before halftime, but Keuka carried a 36-33 lead into the break.
The Wolves looked to create separation early in the second half. A three-pointer from Akinlana Popoola followed by a transition layup from Kaleb Nutifafa gave Keuka a 10-point lead four minutes into the half. Brockport responded with an eight-point run—their largest of the game—over the next four minutes to pull within one possession. Chase Welch (Buffalo, N.Y. / The Park School) ended the run with a second-chance three after offensive rebounds by VanKerkhove, pushing the Keuka lead to 51-46.
Keuka later stretched the lead back to seven, but Brockport closed within two following a basket with 1:32 remaining. The Golden Eagles had possession with 45 seconds left but went 1-for-2 at the free throw line to make it 63-62. Brockport then forced a steal, but its layup attempt with 4.9 seconds remaining missed. Keuka regained possession, and Popoola sealed the win by knocking down two free throws with 3.9 seconds left. Brockport’s final three-point attempt at the buzzer came up short, securing the 65-62 victory for Keuka College.
KC Notes:
- Keuka College earned its first win over SUNY Brockport since the 1988-89 season, snapping Brockport’s nine-game winning streak and moving the all-time series to 4-10.
- Keuka’s defense limited Brockport to 29 second-half points and forced three shot clock violations. The Wolves, who averaged 86.4 points in their other five wins, secured the victory with 65 points.
- The Wolves tied a season high with 10 three-pointers. Lovelace and Chase Welch led the team with three each.
- Makya Morrison (Oneonta, N.Y. / Oneonta) led Keuka with 10 rebounds.
Up Next for Keuka College:
The Wolves look to continue their momentum with a challenging Empire 8 road weekend. Keuka will travel to St. John Fisher on Friday night before facing Nazareth University on Saturday.
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