KEUKA PARK, NY— Mason VanDeMortel scored 23 points to lead the Keuka Wolves past the Houghton Highlanders in their conference opener, 93-59.
 
Trailing by three in the early minutes of the game, the Wolves reeled off a 17-0 run to establish a commanding 14-point lead midway through the first half. 
 
Keuka would stretch that lead to as many as 19 before going into the break up, 46-30.
 
The second half would bring more of the same, as the Wolves stretched their lead to more than 40 points with just over 10 minutes to play.
 
Houghton would play more fundamentally sound for the duration, but the Keuka lead would prove insurmountable. 
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 59 | Keuka – 93
Records: Houghton: 1-7 (0-2 Empire 8) | Keuka: 3-4 (1-0 Empire 8)
Venue: JMW Recreation and Athletics Center, Keuka College | Attendance: 147

NOTABLE STATS
>> Houghton committed 21 turnovers, gathered 29 rebounds and shot just over 40 percent from the floor, while Keuka committed only 10 turnovers, grabbed 42 boards, and shot over 50 percent from the floor.
 
>> Jajuan Preaster proved a bright spot for the Highlanders, finishing 8-for-13 from the field, scoring 19 points, while grabbing 12 boards for his first double-double of the season.  He has reached double-digit points in all five games he has played this season.
 
>> VanDeMortel finished 9-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.  Teammates Christian Sage and Mac Creek added 18 ad 15 points apiece, respectively.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"First, I want to give a ton of credit to Keuka and Coach Jake Scott. They were missing their leading scorer, a back-up guard, and another starter went down early. There was no victim mentality, just team execution and enthusiasm. We were missing both of those. Our athletic motto is 'Excellence for the Glory of God.' Tonight, we did not display that. There is a lot of soul searching happening in our squad. I truly am looking forward to watching the response we have to a loss like this. It will show a lot about who we are." - Head Coach Jeremy Bialek

UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center on Thursday for a non-conference matchup with the SUNY Fredonia Blue Devils.  The two teams have not met since December 2012, a matchup that the Blue Devils won, 61-39, in Houghton.