Posted: Feb 15, 2026

Late scoring frenzy lifts T’Wolves to overtime finish against Lakeland CC for seventh consecutive win

*** PHOTO: SUNY NIAGARA ATHLETICS ***

Once again, SUNY Niagara found a second gear with another late scoring spree and kept its winning ways going.

In yet another close finish, SUNY Niagara recorded a seventh consecutive win in a 103-97 overtime win versus Lakeland CC Sunday in Sanborn. This was the second and final regular-season meeting with the Lakers, their first since an 80-74 overtime defeat on Jan. 12 in Ohio.

The Thunderwolves had a 91-88 lead before a 3-pointer from Lakeland’s Marlon Landingham with 1.6 seconds remaining forced overtime. Through the first 1:36 of overtime, the Lakers scored six straight points and built a 97-91 lead.

The Thunderwolves then responded and scored the game’s final 11 points for the comeback win. Freshman Jacob Humphrey’s lay-up tied the game at 97-97 with 2:15 left and Ateny Kuol’s steal and basket gave the Thunderwolves’ the go-ahead 99-97 lead with 1:20 remaining. Free-throws from Humphrey and Chioke Marshall in the last minute of play helped SUNY Niagara secure the win.

In a career-high 44 minutes played, Marshall finished with a game-high 33 points on 10-of-24 shooting and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc along with six rebounds and three assists. Marshall also went 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, making this the fourth time in his career that he converted 10 shots and made 10 free-throws in the same game.

Humphrey scored 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 4-of-8 from the 3-point line, tying his career-high and his 10th game with multiple 3-pointers. The freshman and Bishop Timon alum also posted five rebounds and five steals.

Tamir Barrant had his best performance as a Thunderwolf with his 11 points and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench. Jaedon Hutchinson had nine points and six rebounds.

Including the game-tying basket in overtime, Kuol scored six points and had three rebounds and two steals in his fourth consecutive start (ninth of season). In his 24th start of the season, Bryce Wejuli had four points and three rebounds.

D’Andre Gibbs had five points. Jack Kempf had four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Abu Dukuray had four points and Mustafa Eskicki had two points and four rebounds.

SUNY Niagara shot 34-of-79 (43%) from the field, 11-of-30 (36.7%) from the 3-point line and, 23-of-33 (69.7%) at the free-throw line. The Thunderwolves scored 34 points in the paint and 29 points off 23 Lakeland CC turnovers.

SUNY Niagara is 17-8 this season and has won 12 of its last 16 contests since Dec. 3 and seven of its last 10 since the calendar year.

NOTES:

SUNY Niagara is now 3-1 in overtime contests this season, including its 80-74 loss at Lakeland CC on Jan. 12, 110-109 overtime win at Jamestown CC on Jan. 28 and 101-96 win versus Monroe CC on Feb 14. The 2025-26 campaign is the first time the Thunderwolves have played multiple overtime games in a season since a 4-0 finish in 2016-17. SUNY Niagara is now 9-3 in overtime games over the last 10 seasons (since 2016-17).

SUNY Niagara continues to find success at home and is 12-1 in Sanborn this season. Over the last 10 seasons (2016-17), the Thunderwolves are 101-14 in Niagara County and have won 62 of their last 70 home games since the 2021-22 campaign.

The blue-and-gold are also now 102-15 as the home team over the last 10 seasons, which began with a 98-85 overtime win versus Patrick Henry CC on Nov. 6, 2016 at the Montgomery College Tip-Off Classic in Maryland. The Thunderwolves’ 100th win as the home team during this stretch came in their 97-66 victory versus Cuyahoga CC on Feb. 8.

With a 33-point performance, Marshall recorded his ninth game with at least 30 points (14th of career) and for the seventh time in his last 12 appearances. Marshall also posted his 21st game in double-digit scoring in his sophomore campaign (49th of career). The sophomore from Queens, NY is currently fourth among all NJCAA Division II players with his team-high 25.3 points per game and leads in free-throw percentage (92.7%).

In 55 career games, Marshall has now scored 1,165 career points (21.2 per game). After entering the Lakeland CC game with 1,132 points, Marshall remains third all-time in SUNY Niagara men’s basketball scoring and needs 28 points to pass 1998 graduate Ricardo Jackson (1,192 points) for second overall. 1975 graduate George Pendleton holds the program record with 1,245 points, which he tallied in 62 career games from 1973-75.

With his 3-of-8 performance against Lakeland CC Sunday, Marshall has made 110 career 3-pointers and is one of seven SUNY Niagara players to cross the century mark since the 2016-17 season. Marshall needs seven to pass former teammate Jalen Duff (116 from 2023-25) for sixth on this list. 2018 graduate Donel Cathcart holds the record in these 10 seasons with 144.

The 24 points marked Humphrey’s 15th double-digit scoring game of the season and his ninth in his last 11 outings. The five steals were his most in a game since he posted six in SUNY Niagara’s 78-67 win at Erie CC on Jan. 24. Humphrey is second on SUNY Niagara in points per game (18.3) and assists per game (2.6), along with a team-high 1.8 steals and 4.7 rebounds in 18 starts.

SUNY Niagara is 7-2 when Marshall and Humphrey convert at least two 3-pointers in the same contest. Humphrey’s four treys tied his career-high, which he set in SUNY Niagara’s 97-66 victory versus Cuyahoga CC on Feb. 8. Marshall’s single-game best remains six, which he has hit three times, including most recently in the Thunderwolves’ 85-61 win versus Mohawk Valley CC on Dec. 17 (6-of-11).

Barrant’s 11 points and 26 minutes played were both personal bests in his 17 appearances with the Thunderwolves this season. As a freshman last year at Jamestown CC, Barrant scored a team-high 16.7 points per game, shot 49.3% from the field, and was second in rebounds (4.9) and assists (2.4). Barrant also started in 26 of 28 contests with the Jayhawks and received NJCAA Region III second-team honors. Now with the blue-and-gold, Barrant is averaging 4.4 points and 1.5 assists in 15 minutes per game.

Hutchinson recorded his 19th game of the season with at least five rebounds and the seventh time since the start of the calendar year (10 games total). The Brooklyn, NY native now has 164 total rebounds and looks to become the program’s first player with 200 in a season since Aaron Miller had 205 in the 2022-23 campaign. Hutchinson is averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds plus 9.7 points per game and is the only Thunderwolf to start all 25 games.

Kempf has now recorded at least one block in each of his last five games, including reaching his career high of three for a second time this year in SUNY Niagara’s 91-81 win versus Erie CC on Feb. 11. The Starpoint High School graduate also posted his 13th game with at least five rebounds in a game and is averaging 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per contest in 25 appearances (1 start).

With a 23-of-33 performance (69.7%), SUNY Niagara is now 9-0 when it converts at least 20 attempts at the free-throw line and has reached this mark in four of its last five contests (28-of-39 versus Monroe CC, Feb. 4; 31-of-35 versus Cuyahoga CC on Feb. 8; 31-of-35 versus Erie CC on Feb. 11). The Thunderwolves have recorded a season-high of 31 made attempts at the “charity stripe” twice in a 98-94 win versus Garrett College on Nov. 8 and a 91-81 victory versus Erie CC on Feb. 11.

SUNY Niagara is now 7-7 in single-digit contests and 10-1 in games decided by 10 points or more. The Thunderwolves are 16-5 when shooting at least 40% and 6-2 when they convert 50% or greater.

SUNY Niagara is 8-1 when it scores at least 90 points in a contest and 6-0 when it posts at least 100. Its season-high remains 121 against Beaver County CC during the Thunderwolves Thanksgiving Holiday Classic on Nov. 22.

With the 12 assists against the Lakers, SUNY Niagara is 15-4 when they tally 10 in a game and is 6-2 with 15 or more. The Thunderwolves have also crossed double-digits in this category seven times since the start of the calendar year (10 games total).

SUNY Niagara concludes the regular season and WNYAC play at Monroe CC at 3 p.m. Feb. 21 in Troy. The Thunderwolves won the first meeting with the Tribunes, 101-96, in overtime on Feb 4, and are currently 5-0 in the division.