SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Kenyon College men's basketball team needed more than 40 minutes to decide a North Coast Athletic Conference battle against Wittenberg University (7-7, 3-3 NCAC). The Owls led wire-to-wire through the first half and held a double-digit halftime lead, but a long cold stretch helped the Tigers claw back, and the home team eventually prevailed 75-72 in overtime to drop Kenyon to a 7-9 record and 0-7 mark in the NCAC.

After not meeting his team-leading scoring average for three consecutive games, Gefen Bar-Cohen reprised his role as Kenyon's leading scorer with a 24-point, six-rebound effort. The 24 points were a game-high, and it was the sophomore's sixth time surpassing the 20-point threshold this season.

Wittenberg benefitted from a balanced scoring attack as five Tigers finished in double-figures, while the other two Owls to notch double-digit scoring totals needed overtime to do so. Miles Versa (13) and David Mazon III (11) finished as Kenyon's second- and third-leading scorers as the Owls' top three season scoring leaders finished in the same order as their season averages.

Drew Valentino got Kenyon off on the right foot, making a layup a little over two minutes into the game to put the visitors on the board first. From there, the Owls pushed their lead to six at 10-4 as Gefen Bar-Cohen had it going early and was a catalyst for the Kenyon offense.

The Tigers nearly erased their deficit after scoring five points over a 30-second spurt, but Kenyon maintained a one-point lead, 10-9, en route to leading for the entire first half. 

An Anthony Testa triple at the midway point put the Owls ahead by double-digits, 24-14. Juan Sergio Matabuena hit the game's next shot a few possessions later, and his trifecta gave Kenyon a 13-point edge, their largest lead of the half. 

Wittenberg cut the deficit to single digits on two separate occasions, but the Owls closed the opening period with a 37-27 advantage after Miles Versa connected from downtown.

The double-figure margin persisted through the first few minutes of the second half, but a long Kenyon cold spell helped the Tigers get back on track. After a layup by Bar-Cohen at the 17:14 mark that put Kenyon ahead by 10, the Owls were held scoreless for the next seven minutes and 12 seconds, going 0-7 with six turnovers. Wittenberg scored 15 unanswered points over that stretch, flipping the script and taking a 48-43 advantage.

A bucket and two free throws by Bar-Cohen and a three-pointer from Kamal Aubakirov helped the Owls reclaim the lead, 52-50, with a 7-0 run. The game became a grind-it-out affair as the teams combined for just 12 points over the final 7:46, and neither squad led by more than one score. 

The Tigers tied things up at 57 points apiece after a free throw with 55 seconds remaining, but a miss on the second attempt left the game tied. Both teams had chances to score a go-ahead basket in the final minute, but the game could not be decided in regulation as the score remained 57-57 after 40 minutes of action.

Wittenberg jumped out to a quick four-point lead in extra time, making shots on their first two possessions. Kenyon trailed by five with two minutes left after some back-and-forth play, but the Owls began to chip away at their deficit from the free-throw line. 

Bar-Cohen made a pair of freebies before Versa split a pair, bringing Kenyon within two, 67-65, with 52 seconds left. Wittenberg increased the lead to six with 18 ticks remaining as they looked to have sealed the deal, but David Mazon III kept Kenyon close by hitting a huge triple on the next trip, pulling the Owls within three with 15 seconds to go.

On their next trip, the team's three-for-two strategy paid off again when Versa knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two with seven seconds remaining. However, there was not enough time to prolong the game at the free-throw line, and Wittenberg closed out the contest to survive overtime with a 75-72 victory.

The Owls have a week off before their next game, when they host Oberlin College (4-11, 0-6 NCAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. in Tomsich Arena.