DPU men end skid, drop Kenyon

DePauw men's hoops shot nearly 56 percent from the floor and hit 27-of-34 free throws on the way to a 92-82 North Coast Athletic Conference win over visiting Kenyon on Saturday.

The Tigers improved to 13-8 overall and 7-5 in the NCAC, while the Lords dropped to 9-12 overall and 3-9 in the conference.

Kenyon took an early 14-9 lead, but DePauw scored 10 straight in a two-minute stretch to take a 19-14 advantage. The Lords came right back, leading by as many as six at 28-22 and they still led 34-32 before DePauw scored nine straight to gain a 41-34 lead. DePauw led 45-39 at the intermission.

DePauw maintained the lead throughout the early stages of the second half and held a 67-62 advantage with just over eight minutes left. Sean Haseley hit a three, two free throws and a layup in a 1:24 stretch which extended the Tigers' lead to 74-62.

The Tigers led by as many as 14 with 4:26 left before Kenyon trimmed the lead to 87-82 after Jonathan Amador's three-pointer with one minute left. DePauw's Kevin Sullivan hit 5-of-6 from the line and the Lords were unable to convert on the offensive end.

Michael Wilkison led DePauw with 20 points and shared the assist lead with Alex Payne as each had three. Haseley added 18 points followed by Barry Flynn with 14, Sullivan with a career-high 12 and Tommy Fernitz a career-best 11. Flynn, Haseley and Fernitz each grabbed six rebounds and Sullivan finished with four steals.

Anthony Chun paced Kenyon with 20 points and four steals, while Ikenna Nwadibia totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds and Brian Lebowitz also chipped in 18 points.

The Tigers shot 55.8 percent from the floor and hit 63 percent in the first half, while Kenyon connected on 48.2 percent. DePauw hit 27-of-34 to the Lords' 23-of-26, but the Tigers held a 32-24 advantage on the boards for a 16-7 lead in second-chance points.

The win coupled with Wabash's loss at Wooster has put the Tigers and Little Giants back into a tie for fourth in the NCAC standings. DePauw hosts Denison at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8.