SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Defense was the name of the game on Wednesday night as the Kenyon Ladies basketball team came up with a 64-36 win over Wittenberg University in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
 
The 36 points allowed were the fewest given up in a conference-opening game  since January 4, 1989 when the Ladies beat Denison University 62-39.  
 
In the contest, the Tigers hit just 11-of-52 from the field for 21.2 percent. Additionally, Witt entered the contest with three of the top seven scorers in the conference as Bobbie Clayton, Alex Kiess and Alexis Perry each averaged at least 12 points per game. That trio combined for 15 points.

Sidney Cera and Paige Matijasich each scored 11 to lead Kenyon while Griffin Tullis added eight points and eight rebounds. Sharon Hull and Ifeoma Archimalo came off the bench to combine for 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Ladies never trailed in the game, but first-quarter action was the closest between the two schools.
 
Cera opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the top of the arc following an offensive rebound by Lane Davis in the game's opening possession. Cera tied for the game-high with 11 points by the end of the contest.
 
Later, with the score tied at 8 after Wittenberg's Erin Helge hit a jumper at the 3:47 mark, Matijasich hit two free throws pushing Kenyon back up 10-8. Wittenberg never tied it again after that as Matijasich closed the quarter with a bucket giving the visitors a 14-10 lead after one.
 
In the second, Kenyon's defense led the way as they held Wittenberg to just 1-of-13 shooting and five total points. In the process, the Ladies went up double-digits for the first time as Matijasich buried a three-ball with 3:42 left giving Kenyon a 24-12 lead. By the end of the period, Kenyon held a 28-15 lead.
 
Kenyon continued to increase its lead in the third as Hull's jumper with under a minute left pushed the tally to 48-24. Then in the fourth, Archimalo moved the Ladies up by 32 points (62-30) with a layup along the left block.
 
The Ladies outscored the Tigers 20-4 in the paint, only turned the ball over three times and they outscored Wittenberg's bench 33-14.
 
Next up for Kenyon is a date at Denison on December 3 at 1 p.m. The Big Red won both regular-season matchups last season against the Ladies.