Three players scored in double figures and the Denison defense forced Kenyon into 21 turnovers.  All of that helped the Big Red earn the victory and split the regular season series with Kenyon, 66-54, from Livingston Gym.

With plenty of North Coast Athletic Conference standing ramifications riding on this game, the Big Red delivered one of its finest performances of the season.  The tone was set early by a tenacious team defense that had the Ladies off kilter over the opening 15 minutes.  Over that span, Kenyon gave up the ball 12 times and that directly resulted in 12 of DU's opening 29 points.  With 5:41 to play in the first half Denison held a 29-11 lead and had the boisterous home crowd in the palm of their hands.

Over the final five minutes of the first half Kenyon regrouped and cut the Denison lead to 10 at 34-24.

In the second half, DU would push its lead out to 16 after a long jumper by senior Nicole Coggins.  Denison would maintain a double-digit lead until Kenyon's Maureen Hirt converted a three-point play with 3:53 to play, triming the lead to eight.  After a Big Red turnover, the Ladies would give the ball back to Denison and Coggins would find Serafina Nuzzo for a basket down low, pushing DU's lead back to 10.

After two free throws by Hirt made it a three possession game at 61-52 with 1:38 left, Denison's Kyli Parker hammered the final nail in the coffin with a 3-pointer from the left wing.  Despite struggling to find her shot most of the game, Nuzzo put together an outstanding effort, finishing with a team-high 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Mary Margaret Habel followed with 14 points, five rebounds while going 5-of-7 from the field.  Gretchen Staubach scored 10 points in her 26 minutes of action and Coggins chipped in nine points and three steals in 36 minutes.

DU shot 46 percent from the floor but was just 3-of-17 from beyond the arc.  Kenyon held a 35-28 advantage on the glass thanks to eight caroms by Kayla Ernst and seven by Hirt.

Ernst had a big night, going 12-of-16 from the field for a game-high 27 points.  Hirt followed with 11 points while Katie Adlam added nine points.

The win moves Denison into a second-place tie with Kenyon in the NCAC standings at 8-4.  DU is 13-8 overall while Kenyon falls to 14-7.

NOTABLES: Prior to the game Denison honored the five members of this year's senior class: Kinsey Bryant-Lees, Bridget Byrne, Nicole Coggins, Serafina Nuzzo, and Kyli Parker.  That group has won 76 percent of its games since arriving in Granville in the fall of 2009.  Over that span they have compiled a record of 82-25 and have won one NCAC Championship, two NCAC Tournament Championships, and have made two trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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