GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon College women’s basketball team looked crisp through the first 10 minutes of play on Tuesday night against Bluffton, building a lead while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Owls struggled to score in the final three quarters and couldn’t keep up with the busy Beavers’ offense, ultimately letting the second game of the young 2024-2025 season slip away 65-40.
Susannah Zimmerman and Anissa Hardy were Kenyon’s (0-2) strongest assets on the floor for the evening, each finding twine in the big first quarter. Hardy had a nifty hook shot to put the Owls up 5-0 early, but two quick fouls forced her out of the game. Zimmerman scored the home team’s final two buckets of the first frame as the first-year led Kenyon in points for the first time in her career.
Bluffton (1-1) quickly tied it up after Hardy’s exit, but nice twos from Megan Lieb, Alyssa Horsley and Zimmerman capped off a 6-0 run to put Kenyon ahead 11-5 with 4:34 left in the opener. Zimmerman added a driving layup to cap the Kenyon scoring in the first, and Bluffton was able to cut …
Although the Owls got off to a strong start, the first quarter would be their best in terms of shooting, as the Beavers ripped off a 21-4 run in the second quarter to take a 31-17 lead into halftime. In the second frame, the home team was held scoreless until just over a minute to pl…
The Beavers backed up their 21-point second quarter with another blackjack in the third, as the Owls fared a bit better on the offensive end. Kiana Mollabashy led the offensive output in the third with a sweet move and a step back three while also spearheading the defensive effort with a team high three blocks. Hardy and Zimmerman each scored in the third to continue their strong nights, and after three Kenyon trailed 52-25.
Kenyon had its best offensive output in terms of scoring in the fourth, firing off 15 points while holding Bluffton to just 13, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Beavers’ lead, eventually falling 65-40
Zimmerman led the Owls with nine points on 50 percent shooting, while Hardy finished close behind with seven and gathered a team high six boards. Horsley and Eva Winston followed the leading duo with six points each
The loss drops Kenyon’s record to 0-2. The Owls will now embark on a five-game road stint, the first contest tipping off on Saturday, November 16th at 5:00 pm against Capital University in Columbus.
