HOUGHTON, NY – The Houghton Highlanders survived a late run by the Keuka Wolves to pick up their first conference victory of the season, 84-81.
 
After leading by seven at the half, the Highlanders led for the entire second half, pulling away by as many as 13 points with five minutes left to play.
 
With 3:30 left, a pair of free throws by Luke Cole kept the Houghton lead at 11 points.  But Keuka slowly began to whittle away at the deficit until a layup by Akinlana Popoola pulled the Wolves to within only two points with 24 ticks left on the clock.
 
But on the ensuing Houghton possession, Luke Cole found Jajuan Preaster for the layup, giving the Highlanders a small cushion.  Preaster then stole the ball and drew the foul, sinking one from the free throw line. 
 
While Keuka would add one more bucket with 1.1 seconds remaining, they could not regain possession, and the Highlanders took home the win.
 
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 84 | Keuka – 81
Records: Houghton: 6-5 (1-1 Empire 8) |Keuka: 3-7 (0-2 Empire 8)
Venue: The Nielsen Center at Houghton University | Attendance: 137

NOTABLE STATS
>> The Highlanders converted 30-of-36 (83 percent) shots from the free throw line, both (makes and attempts) season-highs.
 
>> After missing the last two games, Jajuan Preaster picked up 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.  He now has 1,240 career points and currently ranks eighth on the all-time Houghton scoring list.
 
>> Christian Sage chipped in 17 points and three assists.  He has now reached double-digit points in eight of the team's 11 games this season.
 
>> Lou Bellamy came within one rebound of his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and pulling down nine boards.  Fouled on nearly ever shot he attempted, Bellamy went 9-for-10 from the line.
 
>> Popoola and Will Tehan led the Wolves with 15 points apiece.
 
COACH'S CORNER
"Learning how to win is real, and after losing a close one to Nazareth, we needed to close this one out. I'm very pleased that we did, even if it got more interesting than we would have liked.
 
"I thought we handled their physicality well, still got into the paint, and made our free throws. Our bench contributed some really important minutes in the latter part of the second half. When you have a back-to-back weekend, you cannot rely on your top five to carry you for both games.
 
"Jajuan Preaster finally recovering enough from his illness to play was a big boost for us on both ends of the court and for our morale. He's one of the best that has ever played at Houghton. You need guys like that on the floor for more than points.
 
"Lou [Bellamy] was great at taking what came to him, not holding the ball too long against the zone, and being a vocal leader in a tough, close game. We're just used to his double-double type games, but doing it against that kind of physical defense is even more impressive.
 
"Obviously, this was an important game for Christian, having graduated from Keuka last year. Christian came up big, made plays, and helped keep us calm during runs for them. That's why he's our point guard and why we're continuing to improve." – Head Coach Jeremy Bialek
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Nielsen Center tomorrow for another conference matchup with the Elmira College Soaring Eagles at 4:00 p.m.