Shaina Kaiser (Ostrander, Ohio/Buckeye Valley) scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the first half helping Denison past Kenyon 80-72 in the semifinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament from Livingston Gymnasium in Granville, Ohio.  The victory moves the Big Red to Saturday's championship game against No. 3 seed, Allegheny College, at 7 p.m.

Denison jumped out to a 37-29 lead in the first half due in large to Kaiser's aggressiveness on the offensive and defensive ends.  The senior NCAC Player of the Year candidate was 6-for-10 from the field and she contributed three steals and two coast-to-coast breakaway lay-ups that sent Denison's boisterous student section into a frenzy.

After a 3-pointer by Kenyon's Maureen Hirt with 3:50 left in the first half cut the DU lead to three, Denison would score nine of the final 13 points of the half to take an 8-point advantage into the second half.

The first seven minutes of the second half would be pivotal for the Big Red as they pushed their lead out to 19-points with 13 minutes to play behind a pair of 3-pointers by Kyli Parker (Batavia, Ohio/Summit Country Day) and Nicole Coggins (Mesa, Ariz./Corona Del Sol).  Annie-Rae Dura's (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) back-to-back field goals down low were also critical baskets which fueled the Big Red run.

The Denison lead would remain in double-digits for most of the second half but a Kayla Ernst bucket off a steal by Morgan Korinek cut the DU lead to 68-58 with 3:27 to play.  With the Ladies starting to gain some momentum, Denison's Haley Dahlgard (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) hushed the Kenyon bench with a 3-pointer that put the Big Red back up 13 with just over three minutes to play.  Down the stretch, a Kat Powers lay-up in transition trimmed the Denison lead to nine with 2:15 remaining but once again, DU would answer on the other end.

After a Lucy Follansbee (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall School) hook shot just missed, Denison's Jessica Grzbowski (Parma, Ohio/Padua) crashed the boards and scored on the put-back, lifting her team to a 73-62 lead with 1:47 to play.  The Big Red would close out the contest by going 7-for-10 from the free throw line to lock up the victory.

Kaiser was 8-for-12 from the field for 20 points.  She also stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and one blocked shot.  Dahlgard chipped in 10 points while Follansbee, Coggins and Serafina Nuzzo (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) all added eight points apiece. 

Kenyon won the battle of the boards, 43-29 paced by Korinek's 13 points and 16 rebounds.  Four of Kenyon's five starters scored in double figures, led by Ernst's 20 points in just 27 minutes.  Despite the great night by Kenyon's starting five, the Denison bench outscored the Kenyon bench 32-7.

Denison shot 51 percent for the game while Kenyon connected on 39 percent of their field goal tries.  DU also edged Kenyon in the turnover category, 14-12.

The win improves Denison's record to 27-0 and for the sixth time out of the last seven years, the Big Red will play for the NCAC Tournament championship on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

In Friday's first semifinal, Allegheny defeated Ohio Wesleyan 90-84.  Saturday's championship game will be broadcast live by the Denison Sports Network.