KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Basketball team closed the game on a 12-2 run to defeat Elmira College 74-68 in an Empire 8 Conference game at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center on Tuesday night.

Keuka College (7-11, 4-5 Empire 8) was led by Lamar Lovelace and Makya Morrison. Lovelace led the Wolves with 21 points and tied Morrison with nine rebounds. Morrison had 14 points to go with his boards and added a career-high six blocks.

Keuka College 74 vs. Elmira College 68
The Wolves got an emphatic start as Makya Morrison found Kaleb Nutifafa down low for a dunk that brought the crowd to their feet. Elmira responded and held an early lead over the Wolves, but Keuka would keep the margin close. The game was tied at 18-18 midway through the first. Elmira pushed a lead to five following a three, but Keuka pulled it right back as Akinlana Popoola answered with a three. The Soaring Eagles led by as many as seven in the frame. Keuka rallied back to tie and took the lead in the final minute on a pair of free throws by Quinn VanKerkhove. The lead would trade hands in the final minute and fall in Elmira's possession following a three before the buzzer as the visitors led 38-36 at the break.

Elmira College widened its lead as they scored the first seven of the second half to take a nine-point lead. Keuka did not go away as three straight layups by Makya Morrison drew the margin down, and a layup by Ty LaBarge tied the game at 47-47 with 12 minutes remaining. The Soaring Eagles regained the lead and led by as many as seven. Quinn VanKerkhove hit a big corner three for the Wolves with 3:52 remaining to make it 64-62, Elmira. The Soaring Eagles responded with a pair of free throws, but Makya Morrison did the same. Following a missed jumper, the ball rolled out of bounds but landed on an Elmira player. After the referees discussed it, the ball was awarded to Keuka. On the ensuing possession, Lamar Lovelace hit a jumper to tie the game with 2:07 remaining. Neither team scored for over a minute, not until Akinlana Popoola made a driving layup to give the Wolves the lead 68-66. Elmira tried a three to take the lead, but it was off and rebounded by VanKerkhove. The ball ended with Kaleb Nutifafa who was fouled. He made both free throws to make it a two-possession game. Another missed three by Elmira was followed by a pair of free throws for Lovelace as the Wolves iced the game away with a 12-2 run to defeat Elmira College 74-68.

KC Notes:

• The Wolves are now 14-22 all-time against Elmira College. The series is tied 5-5 since Keuka College joined the Empire 8
• As a team, Keuka College had eight blocks on the defensive end. Six of which came from Makya Morrison. Morrison had the most blocks in a game for a Keuka College player in nearly 20 years. It gave him 50 blocks for his career
• Akinlana Popoola also set a new career high as the senior had seven assists to go with his 10 points. It was the most assists in a game by a Keuka College player this season
• The Wolves made two more threes than the Soaring Eagles and held Elmira to 1-15 shooting from deep in the second half

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves will look to continue the momentum at home this weekend with a pair of key Empire 8 games. Keuka College will host Houghton University on Friday night and then face Alfred University on Saturday.