SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's basketball team could not withstand the North Coast Athletic Conference's top team, as Wittenberg University won 62-40 on their home floor. The win kept the Tigers (13-3) undefeated over five NCAC contests, while the Owls fell to 5-10 (1-4 NCAC) after a season-low scoring output.

Turnovers limited the Owls' scoring opportunities as Wittenberg snagged 11 steals, and seven extra Kenyon giveaways (15-8) led to a 16-4 edge in points off turnovers for the Tigers. The home team also benefited from Kenyon's 29.6% clip from the floor, 21.4% three-point percentage, and 45.5% mark from the free throw line and the poor shooting helped contribute to the Tigers' 44-26 rebounding advantage. Wittenberg did not shoot the lights out with marks of 40.6% overall and 28.6% from downtown, but the Tigers dominated down low with a 40-16 edge in the paint and a 10-1 margin on the offensive glass.

Wittenberg went ahead early and never looked back, jumping out to a 4-0 edge and leading the game wire-to-wire. The early margin grew to 8-1, and the Tigers closed the opening quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 21-6 lead into the second period. 

Quarter number two went much better for the Owls when the visitors scored 10 points while holding the Tigers to just 12. Anissa Hardy started Kenyon off on the right foot, converting a pair of buckets on the Owls' first two possessions. The first-year finished the frame with six points, though Wittenberg brought a 33-16 advantage into the halftime break.

After Wittenberg shot over 50% in the opening quarter, both teams struggled to find an offensive groove in the second and third periods. The Tigers outscored the Owls 13-9 in the third frame, and the teams scored just four points apiece over the first four minutes of the fourth quarter before Wittenberg doubled its output with baskets on back-to-back possessions.

Kenyon found the mark on their first three-pointer of the game at the 4:15 mark in the fourth frame when Grace Murphy swished home the Owls' 10th attempt from downtown. Wittenberg responded with a 6-2 spurt, giving the home team its largest lead of the night, 26 points at 60-34.

Despite the game being decided, the Owls were not done knocking down trifectas. Alyssa Gest connected from downtown on Kenyon's penultimate possession, and Chiara Nevard made it two threes in a row with a contested triple just before the final horn. The three-point flurry did not keep the Owls from scoring a season-low 40 points as Wittenberg clinched a 62-40 victory.

Katie Orefice led Kenyon with 12 points on 16 shots while also pulling down six rebounds. Claudia Cooke, the reigning NCAC women's basketball Athlete of the Week, finished with eight points and seven boards.