GRANVILLE, Ohio (November 30, 2022) – Playing in their first home game since their season opener, the Big Red put together a great comeback attempt as they turned a 14-point halftime deficit into a one-point game late in the third quarter, but in the end, the Denison University women's basketball team came up short, 67-59, against John Carroll University on Wednesday evening inside Livingston Gymnasium.

Denison (4-4 overall) outscored John Carroll (3-1) 26-15 in the third quarter to draw to within three at 51-48, but the Blue Streaks scored on four of their first five possessions of the fourth quarter to take back control up by nine (59-50) two and a half minutes into the final period.

The Big Red, meanwhile, started 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter and missed five shots in a row until a tough fallaway jumper by Mikaila Carpenter with seven minutes left made it 59-52.

A layup by Ava Warcaba then made it 61-56 with six minutes left, but John Carroll was able to pull away with a jumper with four and a half minutes remaining, followed by a layup a minute later to make it 65-56.

To start the game, it took Denison over six and a half minutes to get on the scoreboard as the Big Red started 0-for-8 from the field with six turnovers until a layup by Warcaba made it 9-2.

Denison's only other points in the first quarter came in the final minute of the period as a long two-point jumper by Brooke Toigo with the shot clock running down was followed by a half-court heave by Hannah Wynn to make it 15-7 after the opening 10 minutes.

John Carroll, meanwhile, made each of its first three field goals of the game, sank two 3-pointers in the final minute and a half of the first quarter to extend its lead to double digits, and outscored Denison 9-0 in points off turnovers in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Carpenter accounted for each of Denison's first eight points three and a half minutes into the period, but three more 3-pointers and a nice reverse layup by John Carroll extended the lead to 28-15 four minutes into the quarter.

The Blue Streaks then finished the second quarter shooting 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from the field and were 5-for-10 from three in the first half as they grew their lead to 14 points at 36-22 at halftime.

Then, Denison made its run to get back into the game early in the third quarter as an 11-0 run featuring six points by Carpenter and a 3-pointer by Gabby Elliott got the Big Red to within five at 38-33 just over four minutes into the period.

The run for Denison continued as a 3-pointer by Toigo on Denison's next possession made its 39-36, and then another 3-pointer by Elliott made it 43-41 with 4:13 left in the third quarter and capped what was in total a 19-5 run for the Big Red.

Denison continued to battle to end the third quarter as yet another 3-pointer by Elliott just under the two-minute mark, her third 3-pointer of the period, made it 47-45, and then a 3-pointer by Maddie Goodman with a minute left in the quarter made it only a one-point game at 49-48 before a late jumper by the Blue Streaks made it a three-point game going into the final 10 minutes.

In all for the third quarter, Denison shot 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the field and was 5-for-7 (71.4 percent) from three to get back into the game.

In the end, Carpenter finished with a game-high 19 points while Elliott finished with 13.

Next up, Denison will remain at home next week to host Case Western Reserve University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7.