The Yeomen took to the court for the last time Saturday in a face off against the DePauw University Tigers, but not before honoring their five seniors at its annual Senior Day celebration. The team’s seniors, all four-year varsity-letter recipients — Nathan Cohen, Zach Meyers, Scott Miller, Zach Moo Young and Jack Poyle — hosted family and friends from as far as San Francisco to honor their on-court accomplishments. Poyle in particular was recognized for his record-setting career, during which he racked up 1,187 points, the 16th highest in program history.

“The seniors are a group that were really mature and not afraid of learning from each other,” said Head Coach Isaiah Cavaco. “They are really loyal friends to each other and share a really unique bond.”

Although all five seniors were in at tip-off, many young players saw time against the Tigers. First-year Joshua Friedkin led the Yeomen with 14 points, and sophomore Eli Silverman-Lloyd followed right behind with his contribution of 13 points to put the team up 17 points at the half. Silverman-Lloyd said he was driven early on by admiration for his graduating teammates.

“The confidence and excitement really showed in the first half of the game,” Silverman-Lloyd said. “We were especially excited and motivated for our seniors.”

Still, the young Yeomen talent was no match for the Tigers, who exploded in the second half, clinching the lead for good with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left in the game. Oberlin had a few more chances towards the end of the game, including two three-pointers from Silverman-Lloyd, but eventually came up short, falling by a final score of 71–68. Just days earlier, the Yeomen surged past the Allegheny College Gators in an 87–78 win.

“We really got our momentum going towards the end of the season,” Cavaco said. “That’s when our confidence went through the roof.”

The final game for the Yeomen was emblematic of their entire season, which saw many back-to-back close losses. Thirteen of the last 15 games were lost by a margin of 10 points or less, pushing Oberlin to a 3–22 overall record and 2–16 in conference.

“This season might not have given us the results we were looking for,” Cavaco said. “However, if you saw us play on any given night, you’d know we’re headed in the right direction.”

Moving forward, the Yeomen will look to make strides in the offseason. Cavaco said he wants his players to take some time to relax — but not too much — and hopes they will get back in the gym with Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Grant Butler soon. He added that the Yeomen need to work on strength and versatility to make the most of their upside.

“We’ve got lots of up-and-coming players,” Cavaco said. “We’re adding some size to give us a huge boost. I’m feeling optimistic about the future.”