OBERLIN, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's basketball team saw its two-game winning streak in road matchups come to an end against Oberlin College (15-9, 8-5 NCAC), who clinched the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) contest with an 84-64 win over the Owls (8-16, 4-9 NCAC).
The Owls and Yeowomen went back and forth over the first half of the first quarter, and the score was tied 11-11 after the midway point. The tables completely turned over the next three minutes as Oberlin scored 10 straight before an Alyssa Gest layup helped Kenyon hang around headed into the second frame.
The Yeowomen went back up by double digits on the quarter's first possession, but Kenyon battled back with a balanced 9-2 run. The Owls did not miss a shot over the stretch as Gest hit a jumper, Bela Krslovic connected from downtown, and Mikayla Rudolph and Grace Murphy each hit a pair of free throws.
Anissa Hardy helped the visitors pull within one a few possessions later by converting a layup and splitting a pair of freebies. However, Oberlin managed to maintain its edge and bring a 38-34 advantage into the halftime break.
Another Krslovic trifecta cut Kenyon's deficit to three in the third period at 42-39, but that was as close as the Owls could come to completing the comeback. Oberlin rattled off a 7-1 run before a hook shot from Hardy at the 5:57 mark, and the Yeowomen closed the quarter on an 11-0 run after holding the Owls to eight third-quarter points.
Oberlin forced six Kenyon misses and six turnovers over the final six minutes en route to a 60-42 lead. The home team opened the final frame with a triple and a layup that pushed the advantage to 23 before Hardy converted an and-one layup after an offensive rebound for Kenyon's first points in over seven minutes.
The Yeowomen extended the edge to 25 at 84-59 before a couple of late Kenyon baskets made it 84-64 at the final horn. Oberlin did damage off turnovers with a 22-5 edge in points coming off giveaways, and the Yeowomen controlled the paint with a 52-22 scoring margin down low and a 44-28 rebounding advantage.
Hardy scored 10 straight for the Owls over a 10-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters, giving the first-year a season-high 13 points. It was the second straight game in double figures for Hardy and the third time in the last four outings. The center also led the Owls with nine rebounds and blocked a game-high three shots.
Katie Orefice tied for the team lead with 14 points after scoring six of the squad's first nine, but it took 17 shots as the senior struggled to find her mark. Rudolph matched Orefice with 14 points, one shy of her season-high, as the first-year shot a game-high 3-5 from three-point range. Gest added 12 points to round out the quartet of starters that hit double-digits.
The Owls have one more game on deck for the 2022-23 campaign before gearing up for the NCAC Tournament. Kenyon welcomes Denison University (9-15, 4-9 NCAC) to Tomsich Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Owls will celebrate Senior Day at the game, which is set to tip off at 1 p.m.,
