GRANVILLE, Ohio – Locked in another defensive battle with rival Denison University, the Kenyon College women's basketball team fell short of the mark Thursday night, dropping a 55-46 North Coast Athletic Conference contest at Livingston Gymnasium.
Kenyon entered the game shooting 36.0 percent for the season, but made just 25.8 percent against the Big Red. The Ladies generated 62 shots and created decent looks, but just could not finish. The team's 16 field goals were the second lowest total of the season.
The defeat dropped Kenyon's records to 9-5 overall and 3-3 within conference play. Denison, which lost at Kenyon, 55-45, earlier this season, avoided being swept and improved its records to 7-6 overall and 3-2 in the NCAC.
Even with their aim off a bit, the Ladies remained competitive for most of the game. They trailed by just one point after the first quarter (12-11) and by just two points at halftime (24-22). It wasn't until the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth that Denison created separation. The Big Red scored the final four points of the third and then seven of the fourth quarter's first nine points to expand a four-point lead into a 13-point advantage.
Alison Schafer directed the Big Red breakaway by pouring in nine points. She ended up scoring 17 for the game and made all the difference for Denison. She shot 7-of-12, while the rest of the Denison team was a combined 13-of-42. Valesha Province added 11 points, while Lauren Longbrake took control of the key, scoring 11 more and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Longbrake's efforts led to big Denison advantages in points in the paint (26-12) and second-chance points (22-7).
Kenyon junior
Paige Matijasich did her best to counter the Denison attack. She logged team-highs of 14 points and nine rebounds. Freshman
Grace Connery connected on a trio of three-balls for nine points and sophomore
Ellie Schaub contributed eight more points. No other Kenyon player scored more than four.
The Ladies, who had a better shooting percentage from outside the arc (30.8 percent) than inside (22.2 percent), will look to bounce back Saturday at home in a 2 p.m. contest with Allegheny College.
