The Kenyon men’s basketball team continued to struggle against conference opponents. After falling to Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) on the road, the Owls dropped a close game against Hiram College at home. 

Kenyon traveled to Delaware, Ohio, with the hopes of earning a split in the season series against OWU. The Owls opened the scoring, with Gefen Bar-Cohen ’25 putting home a layup for the game’s first two points. The Battling Bishops responded with a 3-pointer, taking a lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game. Though Kenyon kept the score close through the first five minutes to trail 8-7, OWU scored the game’s next eight points and rode that momentum to lead by 12 points at the half. Despite the Owls’ strong shooting from the field in the second half (55.2%), they were unable to close the gap and fell 87-77. A balanced offensive attack helped lift OWU, as all five of their starters had double digits in points, while Bar-Cohen led Kenyon with a career-high 29 points. 

For David Mazon III ’25, who was second on the team with 14 points, the Owls’ aggressive defense was something of a double-edged sword against the Battling Bishops. “I think our defensive intensity was our biggest asset against OWU,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. At the same time, in a game where three players fouled out and the teams took a combined 56 free throws, he noted the downfalls of the team’s defense: “I feel that we play overly aggressive on defense and [it] result[s] in fouling a lot super early. It definitely gave OWU an advantage at getting free points from the line early in the game.”

On Dec. 7, the Owls fell in the final minutes at Hiram. Prior to the team’s second game of the season against Hiram, Mazon laid out a path to success. “To beat Hiram we need to really know personnel and keep them from doing what they want to do,” he said. “Playing them once this season definitely gives us a better chance at beating them, but just like we grew as a team, they definitely did too.” 

Unfortunately for Kenyon, the Owls were unable to earn a split against the Terriers. Throughout Wednesday’s game, the two teams stayed close. Kenyon held the lead throughout much of a close first half, holding a 38-37 advantage after 20 minutes of play. When the Owls returned from the half, a 9-3 run gave Kenyon a seven-point lead with 15 minutes to play. Despite facing their largest deficit of the night, the Terriers did not go away easily and tied the game at 47-47 just two minutes later. The two teams traded points down the stretch, and the game was tied at 71 points apiece with two minutes left in regulation. Hiram broke the tie with a layup and took the game 78-73. For the second game in a row, Kenyon sending the opposing team to the charity stripe proved costly. Hiram went 28 for 30 from the free-throw line, including hitting 22 consecutive shots.

The Owls return to the hardwood on Saturday, when they hit the road to face the Wabash College Little Giants. Kenyon’s record currently sits at 7-12 (0-10 NCAC).