Box Score GAMBIER, Ohio – Highlighted by 17 points from junior Zyah Beal, Denison women's basketball earned their third-straight victory on Wednesday night when they traveled to Gambier, Ohio and defeated Kenyon College 61-48 at Tomsich Arena.
Scoring more than half their points in the paint (36) and turning 19 Kenyon turnovers into 23 points, the Big Red took control at the end of the first quarter when a three-pointer from Lauren Turner broke the tie and gave Denison a 17-14 advantage entering the second.
After a pair of layups from Kat Williams and Lauren Longbrake opened the period for DU, the Big Red continued to build their lead as they outscored the Ladies 12-6 in the quarter and entered halftime with a 29-20 lead.
Out of the break, Kenyon connected on back-to-back threes from Paige Matijasich and Grace Connery to trim the Denison lead to 31-26 with 7:29 to play in the third. On the next possession, senior Alison Schafer buried a pair of free throws to spark an 8-0 scoring run for DU that put the Big Red ahead 39-26.
Shooting 58 percent for the quarter (7-of-12), Denison outscored Kenyon 21-14 during the frame and entered the fourth on a 19-8 scoring run that saw the Big Red carry a double-digit lead, 50-34.
Denison built their lead to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter as they closed out their 10th win overall and evened the regular-season series with Kenyon.
Beal added four steals, three rebounds, and two assists to her 17-point night, while Shonta Lockett followed with nine points and two boards. Lauren Hofer posted eight points and three rebounds and Longbrake led the DU bench with seven points and six rebounds in 12 minutes.
Matijasich tallied a game-high 18 points on 4-of-9 from the field and 8-of-8 at the charity stripe. She also posted nine rebounds and three assists. Connery followed with nine points and Katie Orefice chipped in six.
Denison will look for their fourth-straight victory on Saturday, January 11 when they travel to Delaware, Ohio for a 1 p.m. tipoff with the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan.
