Box Score WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- The Kenyon College men's basketball team showed flashes of brilliance, but ultimately fell to Otterbein University, 79-66, on Sunday afternoon. Despite leading 36-31 at halftime, the Owls couldn't maintain their early momentum, as the host Cardinals went on to post a 48-30 advantage in the second half to secure the win.

Kenyon senior forward Gefen Bar-Cohen continued his impressive play, leading the Owls with 21 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting performance, while also pulling down nine rebounds. He kick-started the Owls' offense with 10 points and six boards during his 14 minutes of work in the first half.

Sparked by Bar-Cohen, Kenyon's early efforts showcased its capabilities when firing on all cylinders. The Owls shot 48.3 percent from the field and controlled the glass with a 22-17 rebounding advantage. First-year forward Marius Mazeika was also a first-half catalyst, contributing 11 points, as Kenyon fought back from an early 14-4 deficit.

The second half, however, told a different story. Otterbein's Cam Evans caught fire, pouring in 21 of his game- and career-high 31 points after the break. The Cardinals adjusted their defensive strategy and also found their shooting touch, converting at a 58.6 percent clip in the second half while holding the Owls to 42.4 percent shooting and 0-for-9 showing from beyond the arc.

Despite the setback, there were positive signs for a Kenyon squad dealing with an overwhelming amount of injuries. Junior guard Nick Nelson contributed a solid all-around performance with 12 points and six rebounds, while sophomore center Charlie Heywood added eight points and six more rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Overcoming that early 10-point deficit, Kenyon used a Connor Moss three-pointer at the 9:25 mark of the first half to gain its first lead of the game. About five minutes later, two Mazeika free throws put the Owls ahead by nine, their best lead of the contest. A layup from Bar-Cohen kept the advantage at nine, but Otterbein cut its deficit to five before halftime with five points from Evans.

The Owls maintained the lead for the first five minutes of the second half, but the play of Otterbein's Jared Kreager turned the tide. The senior guard scored five points in that five-minute span and pulled the Cardinals event at 44-44 with 14:27 left in the game.

Evans took over from there, scoring a dozen points in the next seven minutes to give Otterbein a 65-54 lead. That 11-point difference would be the Cardinals' best until Julian Heckman hit a three-pointer with three seconds left to end all scoring.

The game served as the final tune-up before conference play for Kenyon. The Owls will jump into North Coast Athletic Conference action on Wednesday with an 8 p.m. road match-up against Ohio Wesleyan University.