The Keuka College men’s basketball team finished strong to defeat Elmira College 74-68 in an Empire 8 Conference game at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center on Tuesday night. The Wolves closed the game on a 12-2 run to secure the win.
Keuka College, now 7-11 overall and 4-5 in the Empire 8, was led by Lamar Lovelace of Rochester and Makya Morrison of Oneonta. Lovelace scored a team-high 21 points and tied Morrison with nine rebounds. Morrison added 14 points and a career-high six blocks.
The game started with energy as Morrison set up a dunk by Kaleb Nutifafa that energized the crowd. Elmira held an early lead, and the first half remained close, tied at 18-18 midway through the opening quarter. The Soaring Eagles led 38-36 at halftime after exchanging baskets in the final minute.
Elmira extended its lead early in the second half, but Keuka responded with three consecutive layups from Morrison and a layup from Ty LaBarge, tying the game at 47-47 with 12 minutes remaining. The teams traded leads down the stretch, with key plays from Quinn VanKerkhove, Popoola, Nutifafa, and Lovelace helping the Wolves pull away. A strong 12-2 run in the final minutes allowed Keuka to close out the 74-68 victory.
Game Notes:
- The Wolves are now 14-22 all-time against Elmira College, and the series is tied 5-5 since Keuka joined the Empire 8.
- Keuka totaled eight blocks in the game, six by Morrison, marking the most blocks in a single game for a Keuka player in nearly 20 years. Morrison reached 50 career blocks.
- Senior Akinlana Popoola set a new career high with seven assists and 10 points, the most assists by a Keuka player this season.
- Keuka made two more three-pointers than Elmira and held the Soaring Eagles to 1-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc in the second half.
Up Next: The Wolves return home this weekend for a pair of Empire 8 matchups, hosting Houghton University on Friday night and Alfred University on Saturday.
