GAMBIER, Ohio - January 25, 2023 - A big scoring performance from Haley Thompson gave Hiram a chance, but Kenyon did just enough to hold on in a 62-57 loss on Wednesday.
Thompson's 18 points marked her most in a game since Nov. 12 at John Carroll and the most by any Hiram player since Brooke Hickman scored 24 points against Denison on Jan. 14. Lizzy Scharer also tied a career-high with 12 points.
Hiram bounced back from a slow third quarter with one of its best offensive performances in a fourth quarter this season, scoring 20 points on 9-17 shooting from the field. That scoring outburst included a 7-0 run to bring the deficit to 49-48 with 4:30 remaining.
Kenyon responded with a 5-0 run of its own to pull ahead and eventually keep the lead for the rest of the game. Thompson scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter alone to keep the score within 5 points for the majority of the period.
It marked another game where the Hiram defense played well (forced 16 turnovers) and the bench outscored its opposition (16-6). The Terriers had seven of their eight players in the game make at least one field goal.
Alyssa Gest and Katie Orefice were the difference-makers for the Owls, scoring 61.3% of the team's points (38 of 62). Kenyon also had a slight edge in the rebounding battle, 37-35.
Hiram will return to Price Gymnasium and look to improve upon its 4-2 home record when it hosts Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday at 4 p.m.