WILMINGTON, Ohio--  Denison improved to 3-0 and captured the championship of the Damon's/Hampton Inn Tip-Off Tournament after an 81-75 victory over Wilmington.

Zyah Beal scored 21 points and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player in the victory.  She was 7-of-11 in only 21 minutes of action due to foul trouble.

There were nine tie game situations and 13 lead changes.  The Quakers led by six with 8:12 left in the third quarter but a quick 7-2 spurt by DU put them within a point of the lead.  Denison followed that with an 11-0 run capped off by an Alison Schafer 3-pointer to give the Big Red a 53-47 lead with 3:03 left in the third.

Denison entered the fourth quarter leading 56-51 and thanks to 19 total personal fouls in the final quarter, the game would be decided at the free throw line.  Denison was 11-for-14 from the charity stripe in the fourth and Wilmington was 11-for-13, allowing the Big Red to hold on for the win.  The Quakers did take a two-point lead with 5:51 to play but a 3-pointer by Lily Morris with 4:08 remaining gave DU a 64-60 lead.  Another triple by Schafer with 2:09 on the clock was the dagger.

Schafer finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and led DU with nine rebounds. She joined Beal on the All-Tournament team.  Morris scored 10 points in 17 minutes off the bench while Lauren Turner chipped in nine points in 19 minutes of action.

McKayla Binkley led Wilmington (1-1) with 22 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes.  Hannah Binkley chipped in 17 for the Quakers.

Denison's home opener follows on Wednesday (Nov. 20) at 6 p.m. when the Big Red hosts John Carroll at Livingston Gymnasium.