Kenyon rallies in fourth quarter to down Yellow Jackets 70-64

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The visiting Kenyon College Owls took a one point lead into the final quarter and extended that lead to as many as 10 and held off a late Defiance push for a 70-64 win Tuesday evening at the Karl H. Weaner Center. 

The Owls get their first win to improve to 1-4 and the loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 0-5.

It was a sluggish start for both teams and the game was knotted at four at the media timeout with 5:07 remaining in the first quarter. The game stayed at four all for nearly three minutes until a free throw by Kenyon's Anissa Hardy broke the tie. For the final three plus minutes, the two teams traded baskets. The Yellow Jackets got buckets from Aliza Clark, Zadria King and two free throws by Kaiya Albert. Kenyon's Alexis Newman drained a three with 32 seconds left to give the Owls a 15-10 lead after one. 

The Owls kept the Yellow Jackets at bay through the second quarter and continued to maintain a slim lead. Zadria King and Kaiya Albert knocked down threes on back-to-back possessions to tie the game at 27 with 1:01 remaining in the first half. However, Kenyon's Claudia Cooke knocked down two free throws to give the visitors a 29-27 lead at halftime. 

Two free throws 16 seconds into the third quarter tied the game at 29 and then the two teams traded baskets on the next two possessions. The Owls continued to hold onto their slim lead and led by as many as five two times in the quarter. In the final minute of the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets went on a mini 5-0 run to take their first lead since the first quarter. Addy Allen hit two free throws and Karrie Smith knocked down a three to give Defiance a 44-43 lead 34 seconds left. The lead lasted 28 seconds as Kenyon's Cooke ended the quarter with a layup with six seconds remaining to give the Owls their lead back. 

The Owls maintained their lead and never allowed the Yellow Jackets to tie the game or regain the lead. The closest the Yellow Jackets could get was within one point in the final quarter. After Zadria King knocked down a jump shot to make it 49-48, the Owls responded with their biggest run of the game, a 9-0 run to take a 58-48 lead. The run lasted nearly three minutes and a layup from King stopped the run. A layup from Taylor Bates made it 62-58 with 55 seconds remaining and that would be as close as the Yellow Jackets could get the rest of the way as the visitors knocked down their free throws to put the game away. 

The game featured five ties and six lead changes and the Yellow Jackets would hold the lead for only 56 seconds with the majority of that time coming in the first quarter. The difference in the game was at the foul line with the visitors making more free throws (32-15) and having the advantage in total attempts (40-19). 

The Yellow Jackets could not contain Claudia Cooke, who finished with 35 points including 21-for-22 at the foul line. 

Taylor Bates led the way for the Yellow Jackets and was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds. Karrie Smith chipped in with 14 points and Zadria King added 12. Both King and Ali Mowen recorded four assists each. 

The Yellow Jackets are back in action for a home game against Hiram on Monday, November 27 at 7 p.m.