Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – In its last regular-season road game, the Kenyon College men's basketball team chopped a 15-point deficit down to just one point, but the Lords just could not overtake the No. 22-ranked Wittenberg University Tigers and wound up on the wrong side of an 80-71 decision at Pam Evans Smith Arena on Wednesday night.

Kenyon spread the scoring around the court and ran alongside the Tigers for the first ten minutes of the first half. A 15-15 tie was broken, however, when Wittenberg went on an 18-3 tear that saw both Scott Newell and Zack Leahy bomb a couple of three-pointers. That gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game and enough momentum to make it to halftime with a 42-30 cushion.

Kenyon senior Brian Lebowitz, who had nine points in the first half, opened the second half of play with a three-pointer and did everything he could to carry the team the rest of the way. He hit the next two field goals for Kenyon and pulled the Lords within five points at 42-37. A few minutes later, he poured in four straight free throws to narrow the gap to four points.

With about 12 minutes to play, Kenyon junior Cooper Handelsman knocked down a jumper and less than a minute later converted a layup on a fast break that chipped the Tigers lead to 50-49 with 11:12 showing on the clock.

Leahy and Newell responded again for Wittenberg, scoring five of the Tigers' next six points. A Lebowitz layup followed by an old-fashioned three-point play from Ikenna Nwadibia got the Lords within two, but they would not get any closer over the final eight minutes of play.

Wittenberg's Cole Bond chalked up a trio of three-pointers and the Tigers connected on 19-of-25 free throws in the second half alone to seal the victory.

Lebowitz, who was 5-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-5 at the line in the second half, finished with a game-high and season-high 25 points. He also had a team-high six rebounds. Nwadibia matched those six boards and tacked on nine points and five assists. Handelsman was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor and finished with a dozen points, while sophomore Brien Comey was 7-of-10 for 14 points.

Leahy and Newell finished with 17 and 16 points, respectively, for Wittenberg, while Scott Masin went 12-of-16 from the free throw line and rang up a team-high 22 points. Overall, Wittenberg marched to the charity stripe 34 times and converted 25 free throws. At the other end of the court, Kenyon was 13-of-17 at the line.

With one game to go in the regular season, the Lords sit in a fifth-place tie with Denison. Both teams have 8-9 North Coast Athletic Conference records. Kenyon's overall record is now 11-13 and it will host Wabash College (8-15, 7-10 NCAC) on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

The win for Wittenberg improved the Tigers' record to 18-6 overall and 12-5 in the NCAC.