Kenyon 55, Ohio Wesleyan 48

Jan. 4, 2008

Senior wing Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary) had 4 points during an 8-0 run that shaved a 49-40 deficit to 49-48 with 3:28 left in regulation time, but Kenyon scored the final 6 points of the game to escape with a North Coast Athletic Conference win over Ohio Wesleyan on Friday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Kenyon had taken a 49-40 lead on a 3-pointer by Hilary Gowins with 6:22 remaining before the Bishops came back.

Graf started the run with a long 3-pointer, then senior guard Kathleen Cooper (Columbus/Upper Arlington) hit a jumper to bring the Bishops within 49-45. After another Bishop stop, Graf missed a 3-pointer but was fouled after the shot. She hit the first free throw and tracked down the rebound of the second, and the Bishops would come within 49-48 when senior post Kelli Lester (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) knocked down a jumper from the circle later in that possession.

Eva George ended the Kenyon drought with a lay-in with 3:01 left, and after a Bishop turnover, Alisha Moreno drove the lane for a lay-in that stretched the Kenyon lead to 53-48 with 2:11 remaining. Kenyon would protect the lead by recording 3 steals during the final 90 seconds of play, and Anne Dugan hit a pair of free throws with :33 left to account for the 55-48 final.

Ohio Wesleyan opened the game with a jumper by freshman post Kayla Gordon (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) and a 3-pointer by Graf for a quick 5-0 lead, and the Bishops went on to lead by a 10-4 margin on Gordon's fast break lay-in with 14:02 to play.

The Ladies answered with a 12-0 run that included a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Dugan and a 3-pointer by Moreno, and Kat Powers's 3-pointer with 8:12 left in the first half gave Kenyon a 19-12 lead.

Junior post Laurel Lawson (Navarre/Fairless) buried a 3-pointer to cap a 9-3 spree that brought Ohio Wesleyan back to within 22-21 with 2:38 left in the period.

Kenyon opened up another 7-point lead early in the second half courtesy of a Gowins 3-pointer, but Ohio Wesleyan rallied once more, collecting a 3-point play by Lawson; a lay-in, a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Gordon to take a 32-31 lead early in the second half, and neither team led by more than 3 points until Kenyon used a 9-1 run to take the 49-40 lead.

Gordon led the Bishops with 14 points, while Graf finished with 13 points and grabbed a game-high 7 rebounds. Cooper, Graf and Lawson shared the team lead with 2 assists apiece.

Dugan led Kenyon with 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Moreno dished out 5 assists.

Box Score