GAMBIER, Ohio – Kenyon College's top-tier defense and three-point shooting gave Hiram College all kinds of fits on Saturday afternoon as the Ladies won by a comfortable 60-43 score in a North Coast Athletic Conference basketball game at Tomsich Arena.
 
The Ladies (12-5, 6-2 NCAC) clamped down on the Terriers holding the visitors to 25 percent shooting while hitting 11-of-25 (44%) from long range. Additionally, Kenyon forced 21 turnovers and converted those in 27 points and they outscored Hiram's bench 26-7.
 
Miranda Diesz led the way for Kenyon scoring a season-high 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. She also added three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jessica Gerber contributed nine points on a trio of three-point makes while Griffin Tullis tallied eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three steals. Additionally, seniors Bailey Dominguez and Charlotte Bussema each scored a half-dozen.


 
After Hiram scored the first basket of the game – a three-pointer form Dana Perrotta – Kenyon got back-to-back buckets from Ifeoma Archimalo and Dominguez to go up 5-3. The Terriers tied things up on the next possession before Kenyon took the lead again. Diesz hit a jumper at the 7:20 mark and from then on, the Ladies never lost the lead.
 
Later in the first, a Gerber three-ball put the home team up ten points, 17-7, and they closed the first stanza with a 17-9 lead.
 
In the second, Hiram's offense struggled mightily hitting just one field goal in 11 attempts. On the other side, Kenyon saw its lead balloon to as many as 15 points (28-13) on another Gerber three-pointer with 1:57 left. At halftime, the Ladies lead 30-17 while holding Hiram to just 5-of-23 shooting (21.7%).
 
Kenyon's double-digit point lead continued through the third and fourth quarters. Bussema's layup about three minutes into the third put the Ladies up 18 points (35-17) and later in the fourth, another Gerber three-pointer gave Kenyon its biggest lead at 55-34.
 
It was the third consecutive win for the Ladies who improved their home record to 6-1. The loss snapped Hiram's three-game winning streak.
 
Next up for Kenyon is a trip to The College of Wooster on January 18 at 6 p.m.