DELAWARE, Ohio (January 22, 2022) – The Denison University men's basketball team suffered its first North Coast Athletic Conference loss on the road of the 2021-22 season after falling 76-65 inside Branch Rickey Arena at Ohio Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon.

Ohio Wesleyan, which is the first NCAC opponent Denison has completed its season series against this season, made 10 3-pointers and shot 47.6 percent (10-21) from three while Denison made seven 3-pointers and outscored the Battling Bishops 36-24 in the paint.

Darren Rubin accounted for three of Denison's 3-pointers as he led the Big Red in scoring with 13 points and added a game-high five assists. Scotty Dean added 10 points on two 3-pointers while Ricky Radtke had nine points and led the Big Red on the boards with a game-high eight rebounds.

In the first matchup between the Big Red and the Battling Bishops this season back in early December, Denison came out on top in a close 74-71 game at home after trailing by 15 points with 14 minutes remaining and closing out the game on an 8-0 run. This time around, however, no such comeback was in the cards as the Big Red trailed by 14 (36-22) at halftime and then allowed OWU to shoot 50 percent (14-28) from the field and 70 percent (7-10) from three in the second half.

In the first half, Denison did use a 14-5 run ending with a 3-pointer by Rubin to get to within three at 25-22 before OWU closed out the final three and a half minutes of the first half on an 11-0 run.

In the second half, the Big Red got as close as to within six at 67-61 following back-to-back 3-pointers by Rubin and Dean with three and a half minutes left, but then Denison missed its next three shots and had three turnovers over the next two and a half minutes while OWU built its lead back up to double digits going into the final minute.

With its second loss in a row, Denison is now 6-8 overall and 5-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference while OWU reached double-digit wins on the season overall at 10-7 and improved to 7-3 in the conference.

Just like it did this week, Denison will play three games next week as well as the Big Red play at Kenyon College at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 24, host DePauw University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26, and then wrap up the month at Wabash College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 29.