By John Boccacino/Sports Information Director
The Keuka College men's basketball team returns to action Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. clash at North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) rival Cazenovia College, and for the first time in five years, the Wolfpack will kick off the second half of the season sporting a winning record.
At 5-3 overall (2-0 in the NEAC), Keuka's men's basketball team is above .500 heading into the second semester for the first time since Tom Flood's 2009-10 squad was 4-3 en route to a 9-16 finish.
Keuka brings a three-game winning streak into Saturday's clash with Cazenovia. The Green and Gold are outscoring the competition by an average of 65-56 during the streak, which includes wins over SUNY ESF (77-57), SUNY Cobleskill (50-47) and SUNY Polytechnic (68-64 in overtime).
Live stats for the game are available by visiting http://www.sidearmstats.com/cazcollege/mbball.
Thad Phillips' Wolfpack squad boasts five student-athletes averaging 5.6 points per game or more, led by seniors Trevor Healey (Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield) and Tyler Hixson (Shortsville, N.Y./Red Jacket), and junior Casey Williams (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt).
Healey is first in scoring average (15.3 ppg.) and field goal percentage (57.1), and is second in rebounding average (7.3 rpg.). Williams leads in rebounding (8.6 rpg.) and is second in both scoring (14.4 ppg.) and assists (2.8 apg.). Hixson is second in shooting percentage (54.2) and third in scoring (10.9 ppg.).
The Green and Gold are surrendering only 63.4 points per game, second-stingiest in the conference.
Senior Jared Wagner (Pittsford, N.Y./McQuaid) is averaging 6.5 ppg. while connecting on 43.2 percent of his shots from the floor and 42.2 percent of his '3s'.
Classmate Adam Starks (Wellsville, N.Y./Andover) is averaging 5.6 ppg. while connecting on 43.8 percent of his shots, including a team-best 47.4 percent of his three-point attempts.
Williams scored 13 points and Healey added 10 points with five rebounds in the win over SUNY Cobleskill.
Wagner finished with nine points, junior Vinney Zambito (Elba, N.Y./Batavia Notre Dame) added five points with a game-high four assists, and Hixson added six points with five rebounds in the win over Cobleskill.
Hixson then pumped in 21 of his season-high 27 points in the second half as the Wolfpack rallied from a 35-19 deficit to knock off SUNY Poly in overtime.
Hixson connected on 66.7 percent of his shots (10 of 15), while Healey scored 19 points with nine rebounds, and Williams added 10 rebounds with 8 points and 5 assists in the win over SUNY Poly.
Healey shot 58.3 percent (7 of 12) from the floor as the Wolfpack shot 43.8 percent (21 of 48), while holding Poly to 37.3 percent shooting (22 of 59).
Keuka trailed 35-19 early in the second half, but Hixson scored seven straight points, Healey added three points and Williams hit a layup to spark the Green and Gold on a 12-0 run to start the second half.
After taking on Cazenovia, the Wolfpack continue their four-game roadtrip with a 7 p.m. NEAC clash Wednesday night against Morrisville State, the three-time defending NEAC champions.
Keuka's 2015 home opener is against Lancaster Bible College at 8 p.m. Jan. 23.
