GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College Owls were defeated by the Denison University Big Red (14-10, 10-6 NCAC) in Gambier on Saturday afternoon in a game that stayed even through one half before three-point shooting helped the visitors put the home team away in the second frame.

The Owls opened the game with Peter Haas grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back in to take the early lead. Kenyon maintained the edge for the first 12 and a half minutes, but they could only increase the advantage to five as the game stayed close. The Big Red hung tight as both offenses struggled to find their footing and eventually wrestled themselves a lead, 15-14, with eight and a half minutes left in the first half. 

The Owls regained a two-point lead on a Nick Lewis trey three minutes later, and the score continued to see-saw, with both teams struggling to score. Down by three with fourteen seconds left in the half, Gefen Bar-Cohen made an and-one layup to energize the crowd and take Kenyon into halftime tied with Denison 26-26.

Kamal Aubakirov looked like a potential catalyst for the Kenyon offense after knocking down back-to-back trifectas a few minutes into the second frame, but the Owls' offense could not maintain the momentum. Denison's offense perked up right when Kenyon's went cold, and the Big Red quickly built a 16-point lead, 54-38, after a 19-4 run. After shooting just 36 percent from the floor in the first half, the Big Red made a whopping 56.7 percent of their field goals in the second half, including an 8-10 clip over the large run.

Despite the deficit, the Owls battled back to bring the game within four at 60-56. The comeback was largely thanks to the strong play of Lewis and Bar-Coehn, who scored all but two of the team's points over an 18-6 run that got Kenyon back into the game. 

However, Darren Rubin connected on a three-pointer late in the shot clock that helped Denison close out the game. Rubin scored 11 of Denison's final 12 points to finish with a game-high 34 on an efficient 12-21 overall clip that included six trifectas on 12 attempts. The junior, who was the Big Red's only double-figure scorer, led the team on a 12-3 run that stymied any hopes of a Kenyon comeback and sealed the eventual 72-60 victory. 

Bar-Cohen led the Owls in scoring with 17 points while grabbing seven boards, but it was tough sledding for the big man as he was held to a 5-16 shooting mark. Lewis chipped in 16 points on eight shots, including three threes, and snagged five boards. Nick Nelson led the team with three assists and scored six points, while Haas had a strong defensive performance that included six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. 

The Owls' regular season comes to a close after posting a 7-18 overall record. After a stellar start gave the team a 5-1 record, the program's best since matching the mark in the 2008-09 campaign, Kenyon could not secure a victory in 16 North Coast Athletic Conference contests.