GAMBIER, Ohio — The Wittenberg women's basketball team put together a furious rally in the late minutes of their road North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) contest against the Kenyon Ladies, but their late chances to claim the win fell just short in a 45-44 loss. In a battle of the two statistically best defenses in the league, the Tigers found points at a premium against a stiff defensive challenge.
Junior wing Victoria Leali (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson) served as the catalyst for the Tigers in the second half, as Wittenberg rattled off a 10-0 run to cut an 11-point defecit to one in the final minute. Leali finished with 10 points to tie with freshman post Sarah Watson (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) for game-high scoring honors.
Trailing 25-16 at the break, the Tigers nearly overcame their coldest shooting night of the season (27.1 percent) in the second half, all while limiting the Ladies to 36 percent shooting and forcing 25 turnovers. Wittenberg also outrebounded the hosts by a 41-35 margin, after recently rising to the best in the country in rebound margin. Junior wing Carrie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) led the way with 10 boards for the Tigers.
Down 9-0 right out of the gate, Wittenberg only converted four field goals in the first half while the defense kept the Tigers in the game. Until their late run, Kenyon kept the Tigers at arms-length, while big baskets from Elana Carlson helped finish the deal.
The Tigers fall to 9-5 and 4-2 in NCAC play, ending their four-game winning streak in the process. Wittenberg will next hit the floor in their second meeting of the season with the Earlham College Quakers. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, from Pam Evans Smith Arena.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant