Box Score
GAMBIER, Ohio – Facing a seven-point deficit midway through the second half, the Kenyon College men's basketball team stayed true to its game by pounding the inside with more than half its points in the paint, which led to an 80-75 victory. With Kenyon's come-from-behind win, the Lords improved their overall record to 4-4 and now are on a three-game winning streak in conference play.
Kenyon (4-4, 3-1 NCAC) had to survive the final 3:53 of the game without its leading scorer, Brian Lebowitz, after the senior fouled out via an offensive foul on a drive to the hoop. Up by two at that point, Kenyon jumped ahead when Julian Pavlin hit both free throws on a one-and-one opportunity. The Lords defense then clamped down and forced three straight misses, including two missed three-point attempts by Allegheny's John O'Donnell. The inaccuracy forced the Gators into fouling in hopes of creating more shooting opportunities. Kenyon's Cooper Handelsman and Pavlin both answered the call at the line, hitting all six of their free throws in the final 17 seconds.
Allegheny (2-6, 0-3 NCAC) possessed a seven-point lead, 51-38, with 11 minutes left to play in the second half. Ikenna Nwadibia began a nine-point turnaround by hitting a layup. It was the first of eight unanswered points by the Lords. Nwadibia and Lebowitz accounted for all eight of those points. Once Kenyon regained the lead and Allegheny's Clark Tritto hit a three in response, Nwadibia and Lebowitz again teamed up to score the next five points. A turnover by the Gators set up Jonathan Amador's clutch three-pointer to give Kenyon its biggest lead of the second half, 67-63.
The Gators then reengaged in their three-point shooting clinic with treys by Josh Valentic and O'Donnell to tie the game at 70, but Nwadibia went right back to work to score the go-ahead bucket that applied the final bit of pressure that led to the team's win.
While Kenyon improved its three-point shooting from its previous game, it still relied on its inside game to combat a sharp shooting Allegheny team. Of the Lords' 80 points, 44 came in the painted area. Largely responsible for that statistic was Lebowitz, who scored a game-high 22 points, and Nwadibia with 16 points. The duo combined for 15 rebounds to aid Kenyon in outrebounding the Gators by 14.
Also turning in solid performances was Pavlin, who went 3-for-7 shooting, all from outside the arc, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe despite being slowed by a leg injury in the first half. John Bray also scored in double digits, shooting 5-for-9 from the field, and adding five rebounds.
O'Donnell led the Gators with 21 points, all coming from his day behind the three-point line. Valentic and Tritto also scored in double figures, each tallying 17 points.
Kenyon will jump out of conference to host Albion College this Friday at Tomsich Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with live coverage being provided by the Kenyon Sports Connection.
