Comets come out hot, spoil Owls home opener

GAMBIER, Ohio — For the first time this season, the Kenyon College women’s basketball team took on a team at home in Tomsich Arena as the Owls welcomed the Comets of Capital University for a Wednesday evening matchup. Unfortunately for the Owls, Capital came out strong in the first quarter, setting the tone for a 64-48 Comets victory on Kenyon’s home court.

Though Claudia Cooke paced Kenyon scorers for the third time in as many games with a game-high 17 points, it was Alexis Newman who managed most of the ball-handling duties while playing a game- and career-high 36 minutes. The sophomore set season-highs with nine points, two assists, and two steals while chipping in two rebounds. All her scoring came from behind the arc, where she shot 3-5 from deep, a career-best three-point output, and a season-high in trifectas for a Kenyon hooper.

Mikayla Rudolph opened the game’s scoring with a three-pointer coming off an assist by Cooke, and Kenyon led 5-2 after an Anissa Hardy layup after the Owls kept possession with a pair of offensive rebounds. However, the Comets took complete control from that point on, scoring 14 unanswered points and compiling an 18-2 run to close out the opening period.

Capital shot 4-7 overall during the stretch, including making all three threes, and added seven points on nine free-throw attempts. Conversely, Kenyon missed the mark on all 11 of their shots, including four trifectas, and tallied five turnovers. The 13-point first-quarter differential essentially decided the game as the teams went back and forth the rest of the way, with Capital claiming a narrow 44-41 edge over the final three frames. 

Kenyon battled back and won the second quarter 20-18 after opening the period on a 9-2 run that featured two Cooke layups, a Newman three, and a Melana Pomerants bucket, but the 22-16 margin was as close as the Owls could come. Capital’s largest lead came with two minutes left in the game, up 18 at 64-46, and the Comets (1-1) clinched their first victory while Kenyon (0-3) is still looking to get in the win column.

Pomerants put together her best performance thus far as the first-year finished with season-highs of eight points, five rebounds, and one block while shooting 4-6 from the floor. Hardy had eight points and tied Cooke for the team-high with five boards, and Rudolph’s six points on two triples rounded out the Owls scorers.

The Comets trio of Samaree Perkins (15), Bri O’Connor (15), and Laney Murphy (14) all scored in double figures, and Perkins grabbed a game-best eight rebounds. Kenyon and Capital shot similarly from the floor as both teams made 19 shots, but the visitors were dialed in from distance and made five more threes (9-4) on one fewer attempt (21-22). The Owls fought against foul trouble early and often, and Capital benefitted with 17 points on 24 free throws while the Owls took just five shots at the charity stripe, making them all.

Up next, Kenyon heads to Erie, Pennsylvania, to take on Penn State Behrend (0-3) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 18.