GREENCASTLE, Ind. – Trailing by just two points, 33-31, at the start of the fourth quarter, the Kenyon College women's basketball team couldn't halt a 9-0 Oberlin College run that powered the Yeowomen to a 51-40 victory in Friday's semifinal round of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament.

Kenyon struggled all night with shooting accuracy, especially from long range. The misfires, combined with a distinct height advantage for the Yeowomen, spelled doom for the Ladies, who wrapped up their successful season with a 21-6 record. Those 21 wins tied for the third-best, single-season total in Ladies' history.

Oberlin, one of the best shot-blocking teams in the country, didn't reach its average of 7.1 blocks per game against the Ladies, but did use its height difference to tally five blocks, as well as a 47-35 rebounding advantage.

The Yeowomen improved to 20-7 with the win and now move on to Saturday's NCAC championship game against Wittenberg University, which upset top-seeded DePauw University, 72-68, in the other NCAC semifinal contest.

The Ladies worked hard to get open shots against Oberlin, but fired at season-lows of 22.6 percent (14-of-62) overall and 7.7 percent (1-of-13) from outside the three-point arc. The one made three-pointer came from sophomore Paige Matijasich and it didn't fall until there was just 4:31 left in the game.

Kenyon made a charge at the end of the third quarter, whittling down an eight-point Oberlin lead to just two points. During that burst, senior Griffin Tullis and freshman Ellie Schaub connected on back-to-back layups. About a minute later, junior Sharon Hull knocked down a mid-range jumper that closed the gap to two as the teams headed into the final ten minutes of play.

Oberlin then took control of the game early in the fourth, scoring on three straight possessions and moving ahead 42-31, before that Matijasich three-pointer stopped a six-minute cold spell for the Ladies. The eight-point difference would be a close as the Ladies would get the rest of the way.

Junior guard Alex Stipano made just two field goals for Oberlin, but did sink seven free throws and led all players with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Abby Andrews registered a dozen points and nine rebounds, while center Olivia Canning tossed in another 12 points and snared five rebounds.

Matijasich scored 11 for Kenyon, while Lane Davis added seven. Hull, Schaub and Ifeoma Archimalo, who tallied a team-high ten rebounds, all scored six.

Back in the first quarter, the Ladies missed their first seven shots of the game and made just two field goals, but still managed to tie up the Yeowomen, 8-8, after the first ten minutes of play. The Ladies then took a 12-8 lead early in the second, but Oberlin rallied to move ahead, 21-17, at intermission.

The game was physical throughout and saw a total of 40 personal fouls whistled. Kenyon ended up 11-of-14 at the free throw, but committed 24 of those 40 fouls, setting the stage for the Yeomen to go 19-of-24 at the stripe.