GRANVILLE, Ohio--  C.J. Napier scored 27 points to lead Ohio Northern to an 80-70 win over Denison on Friday night at Livingston Gymnasium.

Denison led 35-34 at halftime but the Polar Bears shot 54 percent in the second half, outscoring the Big Red 46-35.  DU cut the deficit to five with 3:16 to play thanks to a 9-0 run fueled by seven points from Kevin Cheng. 

After Cheng's pair of free throws made it a five-point game, ONU's Thomas Phillips missed down low but the Big Red followed with a miss when Conor Fenton's turnaround baseline jumper drew iron.  Brandon Waugh pushed the ball into the paint and converted after being fouled by Matt Gerics. 

The three-point play gave the Polar Bears a 70-62 lead with just over two minutes left, thwarting Denison's comeback bid.

Fenton led Denison with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 28 minutes.  Cheng and Will Hunter added 14 points apiece while Gerics followed with seven points. 

DU shot 39 percent from the field while ONU connected on 50 percent of its shots.  The Big Red held a 39-29 edge on the boards.

Ohio Northern improves to 2-1 while Denison falls to 0-2. The Big Red returns to action on Wednesday (Nov. 20) when they host Capital University at 8 p.m.