GAMBIER, Ohio -- On a day that marked Senior Day for the Kenyon College men's basketball team, the Owls (7-17, 5-10 NCAC) fell to Wabash College (15-8, 11-3 NCAC) 74-57 in a game that showcased both promise and challenges for the home team. The contest marked the final home appearance for seven Kenyon seniors: Gefen Bar-Cohen, Jackson Kennedy, Sam Lieberman, David Mazon III, Connor Moss, Juan Sergio Matabuena, and Miles Versa.

The Owls faced early adversity, falling behind 8-0 and 11-2 in the opening minutes. However, they showed resilience by settling in and playing Wabash evenly for the remainder of the first half. Bar-Cohen provided an offensive spark around the 12-minute mark, converting two crucial layups. The half concluded with an encouraging sequence for Kenyon, as Marius Mazeika contributed a free throw and layup, followed by a Nick Nelson jumper to narrow the deficit. At the break, Wabash held a 31-22 advantage.

Kenyon came out energized to start the second half, making a strong push to get back into the game. The Owls put together an impressive offensive sequence that saw them climb closer to the Little Giants. Overall, the Owls came out of the locker room with an 11-3 run, cutting their deficit to just one at 34-33 with 16:26 on the clock.

Nelson was particularly effective during this stretch, connecting on both a layup and a jumper, while Bar-Cohen continued his strong play with timely assists. Mazeika also contributed to the rally with a key jumper, assisted by Jackson Maloney, and dished out an assist to Jackson Burke on a made three.

However, Wabash demonstrated why they're ranked second in the NCAC by responding with a decisive 22-3 run over a seven-minute stretch that effectively sealed the outcome. The Little Giants' advantages showed in the final statistics, as they shot 50 percent from the field compared to Kenyon's 43.1 percent and were particularly effective from three-point range, converting 52.6 percent of their attempts to Kenyon's 33.3 percent. Wabash was getting contributions from multiple players as five Little Giants scored in double figures. Rich Brooks led the way with 15, while Noah Hupmann had an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Despite the loss, there were bright spots for the Owls, who have been playing some of their best basketball lately, winning three of their last four games entering this contest. Bar-Cohen finished with 18 points, leading the team's offensive effort and posting a game-high. Nelson and Mazeika added 10 points apiece. The Owls also showed good ball movement, recording 14 assists, and stayed competitive on the boards with 28 rebounds to Wabash's 33. 

The defeat puts additional pressure on Kenyon's pursuit of the sixth and final spot in the NCAC playoffs. The Owls demonstrated they can compete with top-tier competition for stretches, but Wabash's depth and consistency proved too much to overcome, as evidenced by their 39:42 of time spent in the lead and a game-high advantage of 20 points built in the second half.

Looking at the broader statistics, Wabash's dominance in the paint (34-16 points) and stronger bench production (27-12 points) highlighted the differences between the teams. The visitors also capitalized more effectively on turnovers, scoring eight points off Kenyon's miscues while the Owls managed just three points from Wabash's turnovers.

The Owls' next matchup is extremely important for their playoff chances, as they will look to outscore the Oberlin Yeoman this Wednesday, February 19 on the road with tip-off set for 8 p.m.