BEREA, Ohio -- The Kenyon College men's basketball team started its 2024-25 season on the road as the Owls took a trip to Berea, Ohio, to toe the line against Baldwin Wallace University. The Owls battled back to erase an early deficit, but the visitors could not swat the Yellow Jackets, who pulled away late to secure the 67-60 win.

Baldwin Wallace broke through on the game's first possession after a pair of offensive rebounds, and the effort sparked an early run for the home team. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a nine-point, 13-4 lead over the first few minutes, but the Owls stayed the course and turned the tide. Defense drove the comeback as Kenyon held BWU to an 0-for-5 clip with three turnovers while the Owls offense rattled off a 7-0 run.

Kenyon tied the game at 15-15, but Baldwin Wallace slowly built a 10-point edge at 31-21 with three minutes to play in the first half. Even though the Owls were held to a 34.4-percent first-half clip that included an 0-for-8 showing from three-point range, Kenyon kept battling. Lucas Friedman had a hand in all three possessions that helped the Owls finish the half on a 5-0 run, making a free throw and a jumper while assisting on a Gefen Bar-Cohen Layup.

Friedman finished the game with eight points, a game-high five assists, and five rebounds, tying a career-high for points and handing out a career-high in helpers. The sophomore also tied a career-high with three steals as he made a major impact over a career-best 35 minutes. 

The Owls pulled within a point on multiple occasions in the second half, but Kenyon was unable to break through and grab a lead for the first time at any point. After first-year Jackson Burke finished a layup to cut the deficit to 37-36 with about 14 minutes left, the Yellow Jackets took over. A 7-0 run sparked what would turn into a 26-12 stretch, which all but sealed the game at 63-48 with just under two minutes to play.

However, Kenyon kept fighting, and the Owls will look to carry some momentum into their next outing after finishing the game on a 12-4 run. Burke and fellow first-year Jackson Maloney each knocked down triples and scored five points apiece over the spurt, and the newcomers both finished in double figures. Burke led Kenyon with 12 points, while Maloney finished behind Bar-Cohen (11) with 10. 

On the other side, four BWU players scored double figures. Ray Ellington and Brayden Hamilton scored 16 points apiece, and Ellington tied Kenyon's Charlie Heywood for the game-high in rebounds with eight.

Up next, Kenyon will be looking to bounce back and get a win on the board over two home games this week. The Owls welcome Capital University to Gambier at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13, before hosting Ohio Northern University at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 16.