WILMINGTON, Ohio - Kennedy Lewis scored her 1,000th career point and poured in a game-high 17 points as the Wilmington College women's basketball team earned a 53-43 victory over Kenyon College in a defensive game at Hermann Court on Wednesday evening.
The Owls employed a zone defense for the entire game, and it paid off as the Quakers finished just 3-of-21 (14.3 percent) from beyond the three-point arc. Kenyon took a 14-6 lead, its largest of the game, on two Katie Orefice free throws at the 3:07 mark of the first quarter, but Wilmington scored the final seven points of the on baskets from Zahrya Bailey, Jaylah Captain and Kyria Walker along with a Bailey free throw.
The second quarter was a forgettable one for both sides as just a dozen combined points were scored. A Cassidy Lovett offensive putback and a triple from Jada Pohlen at the 8:29 mark was all that the host's would score. The visitors scored the final seven points and took a 21-18 lead into halftime.
Nearly the entire third quarter was played within a single possession as neither team could separate. Lewis, who was held to just two points in the first half, became the 17th individual in program history to score 1,000 career points with a layup two minutes into the period. The basket was fitting of Lewis's career to date as it was a coast-to-cast two-pointer. A triple from the Springboro native three minutes later tied the game at 25-25.
WC would score the final five points of the quarter as Captain found Emma Wright under the basket for a layup and Bailey found Walker for two in transition. A Capital free throw send the hosts up 36-30 after 30 minutes.
The Owls hung around, however, as an Anissa Hardy layup cut the visitor deficit to just four points (42-38) with just under three minutes to play. Seiler then put the game away as the freshman picked the pocket of a Kenyon guard and scored a layup in transition. After another Lovett steal, her sixth of the game, Walker found Seiler on the baseline for a triple that put WC up 47-38.
Kenyon answered with a three-pointer of its own, but the Quakers hit free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Wilmington overcame poor shooting (19-of-57) by winning the rebounding margin 38-32 as well as outscoring Kenyon 22-10 in fastbreak points and 20-12 in bench points. The hosts also 14 steals and committed just 13 turnovers. The Owls were 14-of-42 (33.3 percent) in the game.
Lewis was the lone individual to score in double figures for either team, pouring in 17 points including 15 in the second half. Seiler added seven points and seven rebounds while Lovett had four points, six rebounds and six steals. Orefice, who played just 16 minutes and fouled out early in the fourth quarter, had nine points for Kenyon in defeat.
Wilmington (4-0), which has won its first four games of the season for the first time in eight seasons, has a 10-day break before heading to the Pat Deacon Classic hosted by Transylvania University on Nov. 26-27.
