CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Kenyon College women’s basketball team opened its 2023-24 campaign on Thursday night in Cincinnati, Ohio for the Mount St. Joseph Lauren Hill Tip-off Classic against Otterbein University. Despite an early fourth-quarter comeback beginning to materialize, the Owls fell 65-45 to the Cardinals’ high-flying offense.
Senior center Claudia Cooke was the offensive leader for the Owls in the team’s 2023-24 debut, scoring a game-high 22 points on 50% shooting from the field; eight of those points coming from the line shooting at a team-high 80%.
Cooke, who was second on the squad in total points and points per game last season, started off the game with two quick layups, but after two equally quick fouls, she was forced off the court. Anissa Hardy’s turnaround hook, Mikayla Rudolph’s layup, and Bela Krslovic’s deep three at the end of the quarter kept Kenyon within reach after one, as Otterbein’s lead stood at 16-11.
In the second quarter, the Owls struggled to score, partly due to the rebound play. In the quarter, the Cardinals, coming off of a 17-10 record last year in the Ohio Athletic Conference, had seven offensive…
