ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Basketball team lost on Sunday in the consolation game of the University of Rochester Holiday Inn Downtown Tournament to Neumann University 72-68.
James Barnes (Rochester, N.Y. / University Prep) led Keuka College with a game-high 24 points. Alex Medellin (Gilbert, Ariz. / Desert Ridge) added a career-best 15 points for the Wolves.
Neumann University 72 vs. Keuka College 68
The Knights took an early 10-3 lead over the Wolves, but the Green and Gold responded with 11 straight to build a 14-10 lead eight minutes into the game. Neumann answered back with a run of their own. Keuka College featured a balanced attack in the opening part of the game with their first six field goals coming from six different players. Neumann took the lead with their run and not give it up in the half. A jumper by Jordan Lewis (Houston, Texas / Home-schooled) cut the margin to one at 31-30 and the two teams carried that score into halftime.
Keuka College made the first bucket of the second half to take the lead. The game would ping back and forth between the two schools. With the game tied at 49-49, Alex Medellin scored five straight and Jordan Lewis had a steal and transition layup to give Keuka a 56-49 lead, their largest of the game. The Knights fought to maintain contact with the Wolves. A three by Neumann tied the game at 62-62 with 4:08 left but DJ Billings (Rochester, N.Y. / Greece Odyssey) hit a three of his own to regain the lead for Keuka. Billings would later go 1-2 from the line with two minutes left to make it 68-66 Wolves. That would prove to be the final point for Keuka, however. A pair of free throws tied the game with 1:17 left to play and Neumann took the lead with a jumper with 32 seconds left. The Wolves went 0-5 from the floor in the final two minutes as Keuka lost to Neumann 72-68.
KC Notes:
- Sunday was the first ever meeting on the hardwood between the two schools
- The Wolves are now 3-11 in the Holiday Inn Downtown Tournament
- James Barnes set a new career-high, sinking 10 free throws against the Knights. Overall, he went 10-11 from the line
- It was the fourth time in six games that James Barnes has surpassed 20 points
- Barnes was named to the All-Tournament Team
- Jordan Lewis provided a spark for the Wolves, posting a team-best plus-minus rating of +13 against Neumann
Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves have one final game before the winter break. The game will also open North Eastern Athletic Conference play as Keuka College hosts Penn St.-Abington next Saturday at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center. Tipoff between the Wolves and the Nittany Lions is slated for 1pm.