ELMIRA, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Basketball Team closed the 2025-26 regular season with a 103-91 Empire 8 Conference victory at Elmira College on Tuesday night.
Keuka College (12-13, 9-7 Empire 8) had five players score in double figures at Elmira.
Lamar Lovelace led all scorers with 36 points on Tuesday.
Quinn VanKerkhove scored a season-high 15 points.
Ty LaBarge also set a season-high with 11 points.
Akinlana Popoola and
Kaleb Nutifafa rounded out the scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Keuka College 103 at Elmira College 91
Keuka wasted no time setting the tone, forcing an early turnover and turning it into a
Lamar Lovelace fast-break layup to spark a quick start. After Elmira responded with a run from the perimeter to grab the lead, the Wolves regrouped behind
Akinlana Popoola's steady offense and
Kaleb Nutifafa's presence inside. Midway through the half, Keuka's defensive pressure began to take over, highlighted by
Quinn VanKerkhove jumping a passing lane for a steal and layup that gave the Wolves the edge. From there, the momentum fully shifted. Lovelace heated up from deep, knocking down multiple threes during a decisive stretch, while
Marcus Reed added a transition finish to fuel the surge. Popoola converted a three-point play late in the half, and Lovelace capped the period with another bucket as Keuka closed on a major run to take firm control into the locker room, 58-41.
Elmira made an early push out of halftime, trimming the deficit and attempting to swing momentum back in its favor, but Nutifafa answered immediately with strong finishes around the rim to steady the Wolves. Lovelace continued to dictate tempo in transition, turning steals into fast-break points and stretching the lead back toward twenty. As the half progressed,
Malik Junious-Fuller and Ty Labarge provided key contributions from the perimeter and the free-throw line to keep separation intact. When Elmira looked to rally from deep, VanKerkhove and Popoola each responded with timely threes, ensuring the momentum never fully shifted. Behind balanced scoring, unselfish ball movement, and relentless defensive pressure that generated 29 points off turnovers, Keuka powered its way to a commanding 103-86 Empire 8 road victory.
KC Notes:
- The Wolves have won their third straight against Elmira College, improving to 15-22 all-time against the Soaring Eagles
- Keuka College tied their best Empire 8 record in program history at 9-7. 12 wins overall also marked the most wins in a season for Keuka College Men's Basketball in the past 10 seasons
- 103 points by Keuka College tied for fifth-most in a road game in program history. The Wolves scored 58 in the first half, also ranking in the top ten
- After setting the single-game scoring record in January, Lamar Lovelace posted another game within the top ten with 36 points, tying for the seventh-most in a game
- Lovelace also moved to second place on the single-season points list at Keuka College. The senior has scored a conference-leading 532 points
- Ty LaBarge went 9-10 from the free throw line for the Wolves. He also led Keuka College with six rebounds and added five assists
Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves earned the seventh seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. They will face the #2 seed Nazareth University on Saturday afternoon in Pittsford. The Golden Flyers took the season series with a pair of wins over the Wolves.
