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OBERLIN, Ohio – Offense was hard to come by in the game’s first quarter as the Kenyon College women’s basketball team continued its North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) road trip on Saturday afternoon, taking on Oberlin College.
The Owls fell behind early and never could quite catch up despite a promising stretch in the second quarter, falling 73-40 in the end.
After Oberlin (10-8, 4-3 NCAC) put together an impressive first quarter by forcing six turnovers, shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor and 60 percent from three, Kenyon found itself in a 21-3 hole. However, the squad kept pushing and came back with an impressive second frame to attempt to cut into the Yeowomen’s lead.
The Owls started the second quarter much better than the first, due largely to the efforts of the team’s two leading scorers. Kiana Mollabashy got things started by hitting two free throws to spark a 14-7 run in favor of Kenyon (2-15, 0-7 NCAC) for a six minute stretch in the quarter.
Alyssa Horsley hit back to back shots and Mollabashy drilled two three’s back to back as the first-year duo combined for 12 points in the run, setting the score to 17-28 with 3:21 left to play in the half. The defense stepped up during the run as well, tallying five steals to keep the Yeowomen at bay. However, the home team came back with a 9-0 run to end the half up 37-17.
After the break, Horsley continued her hot stretch as Kenyon put together its second-highest offensive output of the game in the third. She led the squad with six points in the frame while Mollabashy continued her strong effort with four, as the Owls trailed 58-30 after 30 mins.
Horsley added six more points in the fourth as the guard accounted for 12 of Kenyon’s 23 points in the half. The team held Oberlin to their lowest point total of the afternoon, but it wasn’t enough, as the Yeowomen took the game 73-40.
Mollabashy and Horsley led the way for the Owls on the statsheet, as Horsley’s 18 and Mollabashy’s 14 points combined for 80 percent of the team’s offense. Mollabashy also added a team-high three steals while Horsley turned in four assists. Horsley also led the rebounding effort, tying Eva Winston with five apiece.
Kenyon’s record drops to 2-15 overall and 0-7 in the conference. The Owls will close their NCAC road trip on Saturday, February 1 against Denison at 3:00 pm.
