KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Basketball team lost at home to Houghton University on Friday in an Empire 8 game by the score of 76-73.

Lamar Lovelace led Keuka College (7-12, 4-6 Empire 8) with 19 points. The senior added six assists and four steals in the game. Akinlana Popoola added 16 points while Quinn VanKerkhove and Noreon Williams were also in double figures.

Houghton University 76 at Keuka College 73
The Highlanders came out shooting as Houghton made their first three triples of the game. They continued to shoot from deep with two more, giving the visitors a 23-9 lead midway through the first. Keuka slowly began to chip away at the margin. A three by Popoola made it an eight-point game with two minutes remaining, and that was followed by a layup by Lamar Lovelace to cut the deficit to six. A late basket by Houghton pushed the lead back to eight, 34-26, at the half.

Keuka College stepped up the defense and came out strong in the second half. The Wolves scored the first nine points of the frame to erase the deficit and take a one-point lead. A three by Houghton five minutes in snapped the run for the Wolves, but Kaleb Nutifafa quickly followed with a layup to tie the game at 37-37. The Highlanders looked to put the game away as the responded from the tied score with an 18-2 run where they shot 5-5 from deep. Keuka was not deterred. A pair of layups by Lovelace was followed by a three by Quinn VanKerkhove to make it an eight-point game at 63-55. Following a Houghton bucket, Malik Junious-Fuller hit a three and Noreon Williams followed with four straight for the Wolves. Another three by Houghton did not slow Keuka down. Six more points for Keuka followed with Popoola making a pair of layups and Williams adding one. The final layup by Popoola gave Keuka a 69-68 lead with 2:51 left to play. Houghton took the lead back, but Williams got an offensive rebound and put-back for the Wolves to swing the game back to Keuka. The lead traded back to Houghton, but Keuka took it back on a jumper by Popoola with 40 seconds left. On the next possession, Houghton was fouled with 31 seconds on the clock and made both free throws to regain the lead. Keuka had a look from three, but it was off and Houghton got the rebound with 13 seconds. The Wolves tried to trap and steal but were forced to foul with 11 seconds remaining. Houghton made both shots to make it a three-point game at 76-73. Keuka had a look at a three on the wing, but it was off and the buzzer sounded as the Wolves fell to the Highlanders on Friday.

KC Notes:

• The Wolves are now 16-8 all-time against Houghton University and 6-3 in conference play
• The difference was felt at the three-point line as Houghton University made 14 threes while Keuka knocked down seven
• Quinn VanKerkhove was one off his career-high with 13 points on Friday. Noreon Williams set a new season high with 11
• Williams added a team-leading six rebounds for Keuka
• Makya Morrison added three blocks for the Wolves. The sophomore moved into sole possession of seventh on the single-season list at Keuka with 38 rejections

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves will look to bounce back on Saturday as they host Alfred University at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center at 4 p.m.