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Kenyon College Athletics

Nick Valentino
Sejin Kim
60
Muskingum MUSK 2-4,0-0 OAC
61
Winner Kenyon Kenyon 1-4,0-0 NCAC
Muskingum MUSK
2-4,0-0 OAC
60
Final
61
Kenyon Kenyon
1-4,0-0 NCAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Muskingum MUSK 34 26 60
Kenyon Kenyon 29 32 61

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Valentino delivers Owls’ first win against Muskies

GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon College men's basketball team picked up its first win of the 2024-25 season on Saturday afternoon, a thrilling 61-60 victory over Muskingum University that came down to the final possession. 

The hero for the Owls was sophomore Nick Valentino, who led the team with 14 points and hit what ended up being the game winner with 18 seconds remaining to cap off a 6-0 solo run to clinch the game.

With 3:56 left to play in the second half, Kenyon (1-4) faced a 60-54 deficit, as first year Jackson Maloney hit a free throw to come within five. From then on out, Valentino took over and scored every single point for the Owls. He started with a tough driving layup with 2:11 to play to cut the lead to 60-57. A minute later, he drew a foul and sank both free throws to set the score 60-59, setting up a big stop on the other end and a chance to win the game. 

Gefen Bar-Cohen started the possession with just over 30 seconds to play. After working the ball around, he pushed left, and pivoted to find Valentino flashing out near the wing beyond the three point line. Valentino pump faked, dribbled left, hopped right through two defenders, and elevated over a third for the gutsy layup with 18 seconds left on the clock. 

Muskingum (3-3) had one possession on the other end to try and find a winner of their own, but Kenyon forced a costly turnover to ice the game 61-60. 

In the first half, the Muskies shot an impressive 54.9 percent mark from the field, allowing them to build a 34-29 lead at the half. The Owls out-rebounded the visitors 17-14 in the first as Bar-Cohen led the team with eight points.

For the game, Kenyon never stopped battling after spending 85 percent of the contest without the lead. The Owls were able to capitalize on the Muskies' turnovers with a 26-19 point mismatch, and dominated the points in the paint battle 40-30. Maloney and Lucas Freidman led the bench points push with seven and six respectively, as Kenyon held the edge 21-15.

Valentino led the team with 14 points, a new career high, on 5-of-9 shooting and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Bar-Cohen was next with 13, while he and Marius Mazeika led the team with eight rebounds apiece. Nick Nelson added a team high two assists, while Maloney swiped two steals. 

Kenyon's record moves to 1-4 with the win. The Owls will look to build on their success on the road with one more game before the short holiday break, a dust up with the Bluffton University Beavers at 7:00 pm.


 
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