Box Score Sophomore Casey Williams (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) recorded his third double-double of the year, but the Keuka College men's basketball team suffered a 73-66 setback to Cazenovia College Wednesday night on Senior Night inside the Weed Physical Arts Center.
Williams scored 17 points and matched his career-high with 12 rebounds and classmate Vinney Zambito (Elba, NY/Batavia Notre Dame) scored a career-high 18 points while hitting a career-high five '3s' for the Storm (6-16, 4-13 NEAC), who lost despite outrebounding Cazenovia 48-41, including 15-7 on the offensive glass.
Williams also had five assists while junior Adam Starks (Wellsville, NY/Andover) added 11 points and four rebounds and classmate Jared Wagner (Pittsford, NY/McQuaid) tallied nine points with six rebounds for the Green and Gold.
Sophomore Miles Boyer (East Rochester, NY/East Rochester) added eight rebounds while classmate Yegor Dukashin (Rhinebeck, NY/Red Hook) added career-highs in points (six) and rebounds (six) for the Storm, who were playing without their top two scorers, juniors Trevor Healey (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield) and Tyler Hixson (Shortsville, NY/Red Jacket).
Before the game, senior Patrick Campbell (Avon, NY/Avon), a two-year member of the men's basketball team, was honored for his dedication to the program.
Campbell hit a big '3' to put Keuka up 50-46 with 12:05 remaining in the contest. But Nate Hudson (19 points, 5 of 7 on '3s') hit a pair of '3s' and Keith Caiello (22 points, 11 rebounds, 6 of 12 on '3s') hit a '3' to put the Wildcats (6-17, 4-12) up 55-54 with 10:35 remaining.
Williams hit a driving layup to even the score at 56 with nine minutes to play, and after a layup from Ryan Gavin (10 points), Starks hit a layup to tie the game at 58.
Williams knocked down a jumper for a 60-58 lead, but after Caiello hit another '3', Starks hit a layup to give Keuka a 62-61 lead with 4:31 remaining.
Trailing 65-62, Dukashin grabbed an offensive rebound and hit the putback to trim the deficit to one, but Hudson hit back-to-back '3s' to give the Wildcats a 71-64 lead and Keuka couldn't complete the comeback.
"It was unreal, the support from the fans tonight," said Campbell, who took two years off from basketball before returning to the squad this year.
"Just having the chance to work with this team and to try and help them accomplish success on the court, it meant everything to me. Tonight was a really cool night, something you don't get to experience that many times in life, and I'm glad I got to share this with my teammates."
The Storm trailed 11-0 two minutes into the contest, but went on a 17-4 run, sparked by 12 points from Zambito on three '3s' and a three-point play.
Keuka held its largest lead of the opening half, 28-20 on a '3' from Starks with 4:48 remaining in the first half, but Cazenovia went on a 9-0 run to lead 29-28 with 2:38 remaining.
Wagner hit a '3', Boyer made a free throw and Williams knocked down a jumper as the Storm took a 34-33 halftime lead.
Keuka closes out the regular season with a 1 p.m. NEAC clash at Wells College Saturday afternoon.