Owls come up short on the road at Bluffton

BLUFFTON, Ohio — The Kenyon College women’s basketball team hit the road on Friday evening, falling 91–61 to a sharp Bluffton University squad that improved to 3–0. The loss moves the Owls to 2–1 overall as they continue their non-conference slate.

Sophomore Kiana Mollabashy led the way for Kenyon, turning in a gritty performance on both ends of the floor. She finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and an assist in 33 minutes, shooting 7-for-22 from the field while providing four blocks on the defensive end. Sophomore Alyssa Horsley added ten points on an efficient 4-for-8 showing while classmate Susannah Zimmerman and senior Anissa Hardy each had five a piece. Hardy also contributed ten boards, a game-high.

Bluffton set the tone early, pushing the tempo and converting at the line to build separation as the game progressed. Kenyon continued to generate quality looks, but Bluffton’s scoring balance and second-chance opportunities allowed the Beavers to carry a double-digit lead into halftime and maintain control in the third with a score of 72-45.

The fourth quarter featured several strong Kenyon moments despite the deficit. Bluffton opened the frame by stretching its lead and capitalizing on early free throws from Rachel Clark. 

Mollabashy stopped the run with back-to-back blocks, followed by a Horsley jumper in the paint plus the and-one to bring the score to 78-48. The Owls attempted to scratch back with stops from first-year Rae Oberster and Antonia Marzini and several looks from deep, including two three-pointers from Mollabashy, but it just wasn’t enough as the Beavers answered every push, closing out the game 91-61.

The Owls return to action on Friday, November 21st, traveling to the University of Olivet for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.

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