NAPERVILLE, Illinois -- The Kenyon College women's basketball team closed out 2022 with a twelve-point road victory, claiming a 73-61 win over North Central College (4-8). The Owls (3-7) rode an efficient 9-20 (45 percent) clip from three-point range to their third win of the season, snapping a two-game skid before the calendar turns to 2023.

Junior center Claudia Cooke led the Owls with game-highs of 23 points and 16 rebounds, her fourth double-double this season and second over the previous three games.

Senior Katie Orefice also notched a double-double, her second on the season, after compiling 16 points and 11 rebounds. The guard also dished out seven assists, a career-high. First-year Mikayla Rudolph finished with eight points, six assists, and four rebounds, setting a new season-high for dimes.

Kenyon faced an early 7-3 deficit after converting just one field goal through the first half of the first quarter. After the slow start, the Owls got into a groove and finished the opening frame on a 10-3 run to finish the quarter with the lead.

After an 0-7 mark from three-point range in quarter one, the Owls shot 2-5 from downtown in the second period and led wire-to-wire. Claudia Cooke was Kenyon's first-half catalyst, scoring eight points in the second quarter after seven in the first to finish the half with a game-high 15.

Kenyon's lead ballooned to seven at 30-23 late in the second period, but a last-second Cardinals layup made it a 30-25 game at the half. North Central cut the deficit to three after scoring the first points of the third quarter, but Bela Krslovic ignited a 9-3 run with a triple on the next trip. Katie Orefice connected from downtown before another Krslovic trifecta, putting Kenyon ahead 39-30.

The teams were even for the rest of the quarter, as Kenyon carried a 52-43 lead into the final frame. The Owls were dialed in over the fourth quarter, hitting eight of their first 11 shots, including three of four three-pointers. 

The accurate shooting helped Kenyon outscore North Central 21-11 through the 2:22 mark of the fourth quarter. The Owls cruised through the finish line, wrapping up a 73-61 win to close the calendar year.

Kenyon's first test of 2023 is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4, as the Owls dive into the heart of their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) slate. Kenyon will host Ohio Wesleyan University (5-6, 0-0 NCAC) at 6 p.m. in Tomsich Arena.