Keuka College will travel to Connecticut this weekend to face defending national champion Trinity College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The berth marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Wolves, who secured the automatic bid by winning the Empire 8 Conference championship Saturday.
Keuka defeated SUNY Brockport 83-80 to capture the program’s first Empire 8 title. It was also the first Empire 8 championship in any sport in college history.
The Wolves earned the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament, becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the Empire 8 title. They defeated three higher-ranked teams on the road, each by single digits.
Keuka enters the tournament after a dramatic turnaround. The Wolves started the season 2-7 but closed by winning six of their final eight games to clinch a postseason spot.
Lamar Lovelace was named Empire 8 Tournament MVP, becoming the first Keuka player to earn the honor. Teammate Ty LaBarge received the Empire 8 Torchbearer Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing in the championship game.
Akinlana Popoola earned Third Team All-Empire 8 honors for the second straight year. First-year guard Connor Chapman was named to the Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leaders Team.
Keuka learned its NCAA destination during a campus viewing party Monday. The Wolves will now try to extend a season that already includes multiple program firsts.
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