The Tigers dropped their second straight conference game Saturday as they lost to the Kenyon Lords 66-65. DePauw falls to 13-8 overall with a 6-6 North Coast Athletic Coast Conference record.
The team rallied from an 11-point deficit as they trailed 56-45 with five minutes, 21 seconds left to go in the game. Senior Barry Flynn brought DePauw within one point after a layup with 41 seconds remaining. However, Kenyon standout Ikenna Nwadibia had the game-winning layup with less than 4 seconds left on the clock, securing the victory for the Lords.
"We had some chances to maybe be in control of the outcome of the game but our defensive lapses didn't allow us to be in control of the game," DePauw head coach Bill Fenlon said. "That's what puts you in a tight spot in the end."
The Tigers were led by Flynn who scored 14 points along with four rebounds and three assists. The Lords benefitted from Nwadibia's game high 22 points and 11 rebounds.
"We just had some concentration issues defensively that got us into a little bit of trouble," Fenlon said. "We dug ourselves out of trouble and then it's anybody game at the end."
A bright spot for the team in these past two losses has been junior Pat Haggin. The forward has had back-to-back career high games for the Tigers. In Saturday's loss, he recorded 14 points while going 3-3 from the three-point line.
"The big thing for Pat is that he has a lot more confidence than he had six weeks ago," Fenlon said. "That's showing in his play, he's a little more aggressive in shooting the ball and we have to try find a way to find him some more shots."
The team's 6-6 conference record currently places them in a three-way tie for fourth place with Kenyon and Denison. DePauw will travel to Denison this Wednesday for a conference matchup.
"I like our group. We're not in an ideal situation but we could be in a lot worse position," Fenlon said. "We just have to figure things out just a little better for these last couple weeks."