CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana -- The Kenyon College men's basketball team turned a 12-point deficit into an eight-point edge with a 24-4 run that spanned the two halves, but Wabash College (15-4, 8-2 NCAC) benefitted from a 23-5 mark at the free throw line in their 74-69 home victory.

The Little Giants opened up a 9-2 lead after about four minutes of action, but the Owls kept their deficit in the single digits for most of the first half. That changed at the 7:06 mark when a Wabash jumper made it a 33-22 game, but Gefen Bar-Cohen connected from three-point range on the ensuing possession to keep Kenyon within striking distance.

Nick Lewis cut the deficit to six with a basket off of a Wabash turnover, but the home team responded with six straight points to go up 12 at 39-27. Looking to avoid staring up at a double-digit hole at the half, the Owls locked in and finished the first frame on a high note.

Anthony Testa hit a trifecta with just under two minutes left, sparking an 8-0 Owls run to close the opening half. Peter Haas took the reins from there, knocking down two free throws and a three-pointer to pull Kenyon within four after 20 minutes. 

Haas, whose season high was nine and season averages were 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds per game coming into the game, finished the first half with eight points and three rebounds in eight minutes.

The Owls shot a sizzling 61% (13-25) overall and 80% (4-5) from distance in the first half, but nine turnovers and nine fouls helped Wabash maintain the lead. The home team also shot an efficient 58% (15-26) from the floor, but a 33% (3-9) clip from downtown benefitted the Owls.

Kenyon kept it rolling to start the second half, bursting out of the gates with a 16-4 run to take their first lead of the game. Testa hit two triples in 42 seconds and scored nine points over the run after converting an and-one. Bar-Cohen scored five straight points over the run thanks to a second-chance shot and another triple, adding to his team-high nine first-half points.

The hot start flipped the script and put the Owls ahead by eight, 51-43, but the Little Giants had an answer. The home team flipped the scoreboard with 10 straight, including four from the charity stripe. Haas stopped the bleeding and tied things at 53, but Kenyon's turnovers and fouls crept up again to help Wabash build a 61-55 edge.

The three-point arc helped the Owls get back on track as Lewis and Testa converted on consecutive possessions to cut Kenyon's deficit to one, 63-62, with 4:45 to go. Kenyon was 5-10 from downtown while holding Wabash to a 1-9 clip through that point in the second half. Bar-Cohen put Kenyon back on top with a layup, but the Little Giants answered with a triple to reclaim the advantage.

Three free throws put the Little Giants up five, 69-64, with 46 seconds left, but a Lewis layup pulled Kenyon within a possession with half a minute to play. The Owls' defense forced a turnover and secured a steal, but Kenyon was called for an over-and-back that put the ball right back in Wabash's hands. Two more freebies and an Owls turnover eliminated any chance Kenyon had to complete the comeback, and, despite a last-second Testa triple, Wabash held on for a 74-69 victory. 

Bar-Cohen tallied 16 points and five boards with an efficient 7-9 shooting effort, but the big man had seven of Kenyon's 20 turnovers. Testa scored all 15 of his points from downtown, going 5-9 from deep to tie a career-high in three-point makes.

Haas finished with 10 points and five rebounds while Nick Nelson added 10 points, three assists, three boards, and two steals. Drew Valentino notched six points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in 19 minutes, his second straight 11-rebound effort.

The Owls were plus-15 (10-5) from three-point range and hit four more field goals, but Wabash built their advantage at the charity stripe by hitting 23-of-31 freebies compared to Kenyon's 5-9 mark.

Up next, Kenyon (7-13, 0-11 NCAC) hosts The College of Wooster at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, as the Owls will look to secure their first North Coast Athletic Conference victory against the conference-leading Fighting Scots (15-3, 9-1 NCAC).