Kenyon Collegian

Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Paul Reed A wide-open John Beaulieu '13 calls for the ball from a surrounded teammate.

Men's basketball hosted a strong Wabash College team on Saturday, Jan. 30, losing 47-52 in a hard-fought game. Wabash's persistent rebounding proved to make the difference, as Wabash corralled 46 rebounds in comparison to Kenyon's 29.

As if the numbers did not tell the whole story, the closing minute of the game highlighted the rebounding discrepancy. Wabash missed their final three shots, but managed to bring down the offensive rebound each time, draining the clock to a few seconds and effectually putting the game away.

Kenyon was at a disadvantage Saturday, as they went into the game with a limited roster, restricting Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Croci's options off the bench. Kenyon only utilized six players, with Dave Knapke '10, the game's leading scorer, playing the entire 40 minutes. Knapke epitomized consistency again, finishing with 17 points on six of 15 shots, snagging 12 rebounds and blocking two shots. Knapke is now one of 14 players in Kenyon's history to score over 1,000 points and grab 600 rebounds.

The game featured tough defense on both sides of the court. Kenyon held Wabash to their lowest point total thus far this game, but with that came the Lords' lowest scoring output of the season.

Daniel Glaser '13 voiced the team's readiness to put the loss behind them and focus on the upcoming game. "Coming up for [Oberlin] we've been working on getting ready for all their zone defenses and backdoor cutting," he said. "We did a good job preventing their offense from finding a rhythm last game, so we're confident we'll be able to do it again."

Despite the team's loss, the day was won, considering the fans' overwhelming support for the "White Out." Along with the National Basketball Coaches Association vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend, Kenyon hosted the "White Out" as fans donned white shirts in support of the cause. As fans walked in, they were given the option to purchase a white "Kenyon Basketball" T-shirt for $5, the proceeds of which will benefit the American Cancer Society.

The weekend was made possible with the collaboration of the American Cancer Society and the Coaches Association. Participating in the event was Croci, paying tribute by wearing sneakers with his suit during Saturday's game.

Continued...

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