GRANVILLE, Ohio – Emily Budde's three-point shot from a few feet beyond the outside stripe went through and the DePauw University Tigers (21-6) sunk the hearts of the Kenyon Ladies Friday night 59-58 in a North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal game played at Denison University.
 
The Ladies, down by as many as 10  points in the fourth quarter, rallied back to take the lead with 8.3 seconds left after Sidney Cera drove the lane and hit a layup. But the advantage didn't hold as Budde received a pass from Maya Howard with about one second left at the top of the arc and shot as time expired.
 
Leading the way for Kenyon was Ifeoma Archimalo who was efficient in the paint scoring 15 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Bailey Dominguez added 12 including a key three-pointer late in the game to round out Kenyon's double-figure scoring efforts. Cera contributed nine points and three assists while Hannah O'Day came off the bench to tally seven.
 
Semifinal action started well for Kenyon as they attacked the paint early and often. Three of Kenyon's first four shots dropped in the paint and the third-seeded Ladies had a 9-5 lead a little over five minutes into the game. By the end of the first, Kenyon had an 18-15 advantage.
 
Second-quarter action was a different story. After Cera's free throw brought the score to 23-17 at the 7:02 mark, Kenyon went cold not scoring a single point the rest of the way. The Tigers tallied the next 15 points and took a 32-23lead into half.
 
In the third, the Ladies' offense was much more efficient. They opened the period with a 14-4 run and took a one-point lead (37-36) after an Archimalo free throw. DePauw responded though to go up 47-40 as Maya Howard sank a three-ball in the corner for the final tally in the quarter.
 
The Ladies then showed some fourth-quarter heroics to tie the game. Down 56-50 with less than 2:30 minutes left, Dominguez drained a step-back long ball to cut the deficit to three. On Kenyon's next possession, Griffin Tullis hit a three-ball from the right wing to tie the game with 1:47 left.
 
Cera's around-the-back drive to the hoop two possessions later gave the Ladies the lead but it would be for naught as Budde hit a long three-pointer to end the game.
 
The defeat pushes Kenyon's final record to 18-9.