HOUGHTON, NY— For the second day in a row the Houghton Highlanders dynamic freshman guard duo of Abby Guiher and Amanda Jackson came through in the clutch, lifting the Highlanders past the visiting Keuka College Wolves, 52-47.
 
Clinging to a three-point lead with just a minute remaining Guiher drained her second three of the quarter from the left elbow to put the Highlanders up by six.  Seconds later, Guiher grabbed a defensive rebound and found Jackson on the other end.  Jackson drew the foul and converted both free throws to essentially put the game out of reach.
 
Houghton opened the game with a promising start, leading 13-7 lead after the first quarter.  But the Highlanders went ice-cold in the second, converting only 1-of-15 shots and 0-for-10 from long range.  Keuka slowly chipped away, pulling ahead by a point, 18-17, at the half.
 
The Highlanders would start to heat up in the second half, knocking down 53 percent of their shots, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.  Houghton would regain the lead on a three by Jackson just over three minutes into the third quarter and eventually lead by as many as 10 when Alexis Klohr hit a three of her own at the 1:51 mark.
 
Keuka, however, would hit two consecutive three pointers to close out the quarter, trimming the Houghton lead to only four points.
 
The Highlanders would again pull away in the fourth only to have the Wolves battle back. With 2:12 remaining Killian Mahoney sank her third three-pointer of the game, pulling Keuka within three, setting up Guiher and Jackson's late heroics.
 
As time dwindled, Klohr and Michaella Roth tacked on insurance points from the line, giving the Highlanders enough of a cushion that when Mahoney sank one final three it proved inconsequential. 
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 52 | Keuka – 47
Records: Houghton: 9-12 (3-9 Empire 8) | Keuka: 1-19 (0-12 Empire 8)
Venue: Dix Family Court, The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 145

NOTABLE STATS
>> While Houghton's offensive output did not quite match Friday night's level of production, they did sink eight three pointers as a team, tying the all-time single-season record of 171 threes set in 2011-12.  While it took 28 games to establish the previous record, it has taken only 21 games this season to match it.
 
>> Houghton committed only nine turnovers, while the Wolves gave the ball away 17 times, including 12 by way of steals by the Highlanders.
 
>> Guiher finished with a team-high 14 points, the sixth time this season she has eclipsed the double-digit mark.  She has scored 29 points over her past two games. 
 
>> Carlee Miller collected 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals, while Alexis Klohr narrowly missed a double-double, posting nine points, nine rebounds, and six steals.
 
>> Jackson finished with 10 points, the 13^th time she has reached double-digits this season.  She also drained two more threes, giving her 60 this season.  She currently holds the third-highest single-season total in Houghton history, trailing only Kristen Moose (73) and Aimee Bence (65).
 
>> Mahoney paced the Wolves, scoring 16 total points, while going 5-for-9 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Albany this upcoming Friday, February 11 where they will take on the Russell Sage College Gators at 5:30 p.m.  The Gators won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season, 62-45.