Box Score Jordan Holmes scored 26 points and added 16 rebounds and five blocks helping Denison to a 65-53 win over Allegheny in the quarterfinals of the 2015 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Big Red advance to the semifinal round where they will face second seeded Wittenberg on Friday (Feb. 27) in Greencastle, Ind.
Denison led wire-to wire but the Gators gave DU all it could handle in the second half. With the Big Red leading by 10 after an Alyx Ingram 3-pointer with 12:51 remaining the Gators kicked it in gear with an 11-2 run that cut the Big Red's lead down to 50-49 with just under eight minutes to go.
Early in the first half, Allegheny's Emma Pellicano went over 1,000 points for her career. With 7:17 to go she stole a pass from Denison's Kellie Arter under her own basket. Pellicano's shot attempt that could have given the Gators their first lead went in and out, causing a near eruption from the Allegheny bench. Instead, Denison's Mary Margaret Habel secured the rebound and Holmes would convert at the other end to put DU back up 52-49 with 6:49 left.
Over the final seven minutes of the game Denison would hold Allegheny to a pair of field goals while outscoring them 15-4.
The free throw line was friendly to the home team as DU connected on 18-of-22 (.818) from the charity stripe. Holmes was a perfect 12-for-12 from the line. Meanwhile, Denison committed just six fouls in the game and Allegheny was just 2-of-4 in their limited trips to the line.
Holmes connected on 7-of-13 shots from the field while putting up eight offensive rebounds and eight defensive boards. Her five blocks were just one off her season average. She is just 31 blocks shy of the Denison and conference record (336) held by Kristen Sheffield '07.
Arter and Gabrielle Nottage followed with nine points apiece while Habel chipped in eight points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes.
Pellicano led Allegheny (14-12) with 17 points and six steals. Ifeyinwa Uqazie came off the bench to add 12 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes.
As the No. 3 seed, Denison advances to the final four of the conference tournament that will be hosted by top-seeded DePauw University on Feb. 27-28. In the semifinal, the Big Red will take on Wittenberg at a time to be determined. In the other semifinal, DePauw will face No. 5 seed Ohio Wesleyan, who knocked off fourth-seeded Oberlin in tonight's quarterfinal round.
This is Denison's 11th NCAC Tournament semifinal appearance out of the last 12 years.
