SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — In a battle of contrasting styles, Kenyon, the top defensive team in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), turned offensive to capture a 70-60 victory over host Wittenberg, the top scoring team in the conference.
In a battle of NCAC unbeatens, the Ladies kept their conference slate clean with a 6-0 mark. Overall, Kenyon is 9-6, while Wittenberg, which had won four straight games, dropped to 6-6 overall and 5-1 in the NCAC.
The final score is deceiving as Kenyon finished the game on an 11-0 run over the final 4:06. The Tigers held a 60-59 advantage after senior post Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) hit the last of her 12 field goals. That was answered 14 seconds later with a basket by Kenyon's Hilary Gowins, and the Ladies added two more field goals and then 5-of-6 free throw shooting in the final minute to secure the win.
The Tigers trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before they outscored Kenyon 17-6 over the final 5:49 of the opening 20 minutes. The second half was a tight affair through the first 16 minutes with six ties and six lead changes before the aforementioned Ladies' burst.
Gregorevich stole the show for Wittenberg, pouring in career-highs of 28 points and 14 rebounds. The 28 points were the most by a Wittenberg player since Amber Bishop dropped 30 on Hope on Nov. 22, 2003. Gregorevich hit 12-of-20 from the field, including one three-pointer, and 3-of-8 from the free throw line.
Unfortunately, the Tigers didn't get enough production from the other 11 players who saw action in the game. Sophomore post Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) contributed eight points and five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. But as a team, Wittenberg shot 40 percent from the field and committed 23 turnovers, including two key miscues inside the final minute that thwarted any hopes of a comeback.
On the other hand, Kenyon showed great balance and an unexpectedly deft shooting touch, hitting on 54 percent from the field in the game. Combined with five less turnovers, the Ladies were thus able to overcome a 43-26 Wittenberg rebounding advantage. Included in that number were 17 offensive rebounds for Wittenberg.