KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Basketball team earned a 69-47 Empire 8 Conference victory over Houghton University on Saturday at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Akinlana Popoola (Cleveland, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) continued to lead Keuka College (7-14, 4-9 Empire 8). The junior guard posted a game-high 22 points while adding a pair of assists and steals. First-year Makya Morrison (Oneonta, N.Y. / Oneonta) scored a career-high 16 points and added six rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Amar Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Frederick Douglas Academy) was also in double-figures with 13 points and Jaden Keasey (Newport News, Va. / Menchville) led the defensive effort with a game-high 13 rebounds.

Keuka College 69 vs. Houghton University 47

Houghton University started the game off on a 7-0 run over the first four minutes before Akinlana Popoola knocked down a three. The Highlanders quickly answered to make it 9-3. Keuka College began to cut into the margin as Makya Morrison drove the basket and was fouled for a three-point play. Quinn VanKerkhove (Irondequoit, N.Y. / Irondequoit) then stole the ball and Amar Jackson laid it in to cut it to one. The Highlanders answered with a three, but Keuka continued to attack. The Wolves embarked on a stretch of 12 unanswered points over a five-minute stretch to take the lead. The visitors answered back with four, but Popoola hit a three and VanKerkhove followed with a jumper as the Wolves scored 11 straight to push the advantage to 15, 31-16, with six minutes left in the half. Keuka continued to have answers for Houghton. A three by Popoola pushed the lead to 18, the largest of the half, and forced the visitors into a timeout. Keuka closed out the half as Amar Jackson grabbed a defensive rebound with 10 seconds remaining and found Quinn VanKerkhove down the floor for a layup in the final seconds to send the Wolves to the locker room up 18 with the score 45-27.

The style of the game switched in the second half as Houghton upped their defense and limited Keuka's chances. However, the Wolves did exactly the same thing to Houghton. The Green and Gold held the Highlanders to just 19.2% shooting from the floor in the second half. Keuka College kept the margin in the high teens and twenties for the entirety of the half. The Wolves outscored the Highlanders 24-20 in the frame to earn the 69-47 victory.

KC Notes:

• Keuka College avenged their loss to Houghton earlier this season. The Wolves are now 16-7 all-time against the Highlanders and 6-2 on their home floor
• It was the fewest points Keuka has allowed to Houghton in the 23-game series
• Jaden Keasey tied his career high with 13 rebounds to go along with nine points. The senior surpassed 300 boards for his career on Saturday
• Jackson added eight rebounds and Morrison got six. Overall, the Wolves were +10 on the glass, out-rebounding Houghton 38-28
• Overall, Keuka held Houghton to 15-50 shooting from the floor. It is the fewest attempts by a Keuka College opponent since the Wolves held Cazenovia College to 49 attempts in February 2017
• The Wolves were +16 in the paint, outscoring Houghton 36-20 around the basket
• With the win, Head Coach Jake Scott now has 22 conference victories in his tenure at Keuka, moving him to third on the Keuka College career list

Up Next for Keuka College: The Green and Gold will look to carry the momentum into a final push to qualify for the Empire 8 Tournament. Keuka College is back in action next Friday as they host SUNY Poly at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats are new to the Empire 8 Conference. The last time Keuka College hosted SUNY Poly in a conference game was in February 2020 when both teams were members of the North Eastern Athletic Conference. The Wildcats edged the Wolves in the matchup 115-110 in a game that went four overtimes.