The Kenyon women’s basketball team picked up a road win against Hiram College but fell to Wittenberg University and Oberlin College. With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Owls’ record stands at 8-16 (4-9 NCAC).
On Saturday, Kenyon welcomed conference-leading Wittenberg to Tomsich Arena. The Owls started hot, scoring the game’s first points. Though Wittenberg threatened in the first quarter, Kenyon never trailed in the frame and led 15-9 after 10 minutes. Unfortunately for the Owls, the Tigers turned the game on its head in the second quarter. After closing the gap to one point, Wittenberg took its first lead of the game with four minutes to play in the half and led 26-23 at halftime. The Tigers scored 10 unanswered points to open the third quarter, and the Owls were unable to find their footing again, falling 72-50. Anissa Hardy ’26, who had nine points in the game, highlighted the importance of maintaining momentum throughout the full 40 minutes. “I think we had a lot of momentum and energy at the beginning against Wittenberg, but we need to learn how to stay consistent throughout the game,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian.
Kenyon was able to get back on track with a win against Hiram on Monday. The two teams traded points throughout the first quarter, with the Terriers holding a slim 18-16 lead after 10 minutes. A pair of threes from Alexis Newman ’26 and Alyssa Gest ’26 gave the Owls a 24-22 lead three minutes into the second quarter, but Hiram took control from there and outscored Kenyon 15-5 to end the half. After the Terriers built their lead to 11 points early in the third quarter, the Owls began to take over. Katie Orefice ’23 and Gest cut the deficit to five points with a pair of triples, and Kenyon continued to chip away at Hiram’s lead to enter the final quarter trailing by just two points. With a little over five minutes to play, Bela Krslovic ’24 gave the Owls the lead with a pair of free throws, and the team never looked back, going on to win 70-59. Gest, who had 22 points in the game, highlighted a balanced performance from the Owls as a key to the team’s victory. “Against Hiram, we were able to rebound well and execute through our offensive sets,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian. “We boxed out well in the fourth quarter and played good defense. We were also able to make most of our free throws.”
Prior to the game against Oberlin, both Gest and Hardy highlighted the importance of strong defense. “To be successful against Oberlin, we must play tough defense and get most of the defensive rebounds,” Gest said. Hardy echoed the importance of full defensive commitment: “We need to be smart with our defense and make sure not to let up, especially towards the end of the shot clock.”
Unfortunately, the Owls were unable to earn consecutive wins, as they fell 84-64 to the Yeowomen. After Oberlin scored the first four points of the game, Kenyon answered back with seven unanswered points of its own to hold a three-point lead. The Yeowomen answered back to take the lead twice, but, each time, the Owls countered to tie the game. With the score tied at 11 with four minutes left in the quarter, Oberlin ended the frame on a 10-2 run. Despite the deficit, the Owls clawed back in the second quarter, riding 55.6% shooting from the field and 90% from the charity stripe to trail 38-34 at halftime. Kenyon’s second half was a tale of two quarters. In the third quarter, the Yeowomen held the Owls to just eight points, leaping ahead to a 60-42 lead. Though Kenyon scored 22 points in the final quarter, Oberlin came away with the win.
Kenyon will host Denison University on Saturday, when the team will celebrate Senior Day, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Kenyon women’s basketball program. With the regular season coming to a close, the Owls currently sit tied for fifth place in the NCAC.