HOLLAND, Mich. (November 18, 2022) – In the first game of the Hope College Tournament, the Denison University women's basketball team dropped an 82-56 contest to No. 13-nationally ranked the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Gabby Elliott would score a career-high 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 shooting from 3-point range while also adding a team-high seven rebounds.

Mikaila Carpenter added nine points while Maddie Goodman scored eight points and accounted for each of Denison's first five points of the game.

It was a slow start as both teams would only score one basket each in the first four minutes, with Denison's coming via a 3-pointer by Goodman.

Then after a jumper by Goodman made the score 6-5 Blugolds with 4:51 left in the first quarter, Wisconsin-Eau Claire proceeded to score the next eight points and ended the period on a 12-2 run to take a double-digit lead (18-7) into the second quarter.

Denison shot only 3-for-14 (21.43 percent) from the field and 1-for-5 (20 percent) from three in the first quarter before falling behind by as much as 19 points (35-16) with just under three minutes left in the second quarter.

To start the third quarter, however, the Big Red would try to put together a run and get back into the game as they scored the first seven points of the second half to get to within 10 at 35-25 on a jumper by Hannah Wynn a minute and a half into the period.

With 3:13 left in the third quarter, a 3-pointer by Elliott again got Denison to within 10 at 47-37, and then the third 3-pointer of the third quarter by Elliott in the final minute kept the Big Red within striking distance at 56-45 heading into the final 10 minutes.

In all, Denison outscored Eau-Claire 27-21 and shot 7-for-11 (63.64 percent) from the field and 4-for-5 (80 percent) from three in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter was all Blugolds, who shot 9-for-16 (56.25 percent) from the field in the final 10 minutes to secure the win.

The Eau-Claire defense also limited Denison to only 5-for-22 (22.73 percent) shooting from the field and a 0-for-6 mark from three in the fourth quarter.

Denison will be back in action tomorrow on Saturday, November 19, against either the host team and No. 1 nationally-ranked Hope College or Finlandia University for their final game in the tournament.