Story Links
GAMBIER, Ohio – Coming off a big win against the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for the team’s second victory of the season, the Kenyon College women’s basketball team (2-7, 0-1 NCAC) fell to Kalamazoo College (3-4) in a Wednesday night non-conference matchup from Tomsich Arena. The final score was 64-51 in favor of the Hornets, though the Owls showed resilience by outscoring their opponent 18-13 in the final quarter of play to try and spark a comeback.
The Owls were led by strong performances from first-years Alyssa Horsley and Kiana Mollabashy. Horsely put together a complete game as she contributed 15 points along with five rebounds and five assists, while Mollabashy finished with fourteen points and made her presence felt on the defensive end with two blocks, five rebounds, and three steals. Other notable contributions for the Owls included Grace Murphy, who finished with three blocks, and Eva Winston, who led Kenyon with six rebounds.
From the opening tip, Kalamazoo established their dominance on the boards, managing to put up 24 shots in the opening quarter while out-rebounding the Owls 18-8. Rebounding proved to be the difference maker in this game, as Kalamazoo grabbed a total of 58 rebounds for the contest, including 28 on the offensive end. Mollabashy carried the offensive load in the first quarter, scoring all of the Owls’ points on two layups and a step-back three-pointer, as Kalamazoo took a 19-7 lead into the second quarter.
The Owls’ defense showed improvement in the second quarter, holding Kalamazoo to just 3-15 shooting (20 percent) from the field. Megan Lieb opened up the scoring for the Owls in the second half by drilling a three-pointer, setting the tone for what would become a strong shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Owls connected on seven three-pointers compared to only three for Kalamazoo, with four of those coming during their fourth-quarter surge.
Despite trailing for most of the game, Kenyon showed tremendous fight in the final period, outscoring Kalamazoo 18-13. The late-game offensive explosion demonstrated the team’s resilience and potential, even though the early rebounding deficit proved too much to overcome in the end.
The Owls have a bit of a break as their next matchup is at home on Saturday December 21 against Olivet College. The Owls will look to build off their three point shooting, and tough second half defense, as they look to bounce back with a win.
