GAMBIER, Ohio – Kenyon College's men's basketball team couldn't quite climb out of an early hole Wednesday evening, as the Owls fell 79-67 to visiting Wittenberg University in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) action. The loss moved Kenyon to 10-13 overall and 4-10 in league play, while the Tigers improved to 16-6 overall and 9-4 in the NCAC, pulling into a three-way tie atop the standings with John Carroll University and Denison University.
The Tigers set the tone early behind a quick three from Noah Frayer, and although Kenyon settled in and briefly grabbed the lead midway through the opening half, Wittenberg's shot-making from deep kept the visitors in rhythm. The Owls answered with tough finishes in the paint and trips to the line, highlighted by a strong first-half stretch from sophomore Marius Mazeika and first-year Nicholas Graves, but Wittenberg closed the half with a flurry of makes to take a 42-32 advantage into the break.
Kenyon continued to battle in the second half, using defensive stops and a more aggressive attack to chip away. Graves and Mazeika helped steady the offense as the Owls tried to string together stops, and first-year Will McDonald provided a spark with timely perimeter buckets as Kenyon pushed back into striking distance. The Owls trimmed the margin to 10 late, but Wittenberg's efficiency, paired with an edge on the glass, allowed the Tigers to maintain control down the stretch and secure the 79-67 decision.
Graves led Kenyon with 24 points, tying his second-best output of the season, while adding five assists. He shot 7-for-13 from the floor, 2-for-3 from three, and was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. Mazeika followed with 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting, along with five rebounds and three steals. McDonald added 12 points, his third straight double-digit effort, knocking down 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and pulling in five rebounds.
As a team, Kenyon shot 38.5 percent (20-for-52) from the field, while Wittenberg finished at 43.3 percent (26-for-60). The biggest difference came from long range, where the Owls shot 24.0 percent (6-for-25) and the Tigers hit at a 48.1-percent clip. Kenyon also generated chances at the line (21-for-29), but Wittenberg owned the rebounding battle, 42-28.
The Owls hit the road next, traveling to Crawfordsville, Indiana, for an NCAC matchup against Wabash College on Saturday, February 14, with tip-off set for 2:30 p.m.
