GRANVILLE, Ohio (December 9, 2023) – The Denison University men's basketball team limited Ohio Wesleyan University to just 29 points in the second half and earned its fourth win in a row to start North Coast Athletic Conference action following a 78-66 win at home over the Battling Bishops on Saturday inside Livingston Gymnasium.

Ricky Radtke led the Big Red in scoring with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field while adding eight rebounds, but the stat sheet stuffer was Cameron Smith with 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. It was the first-career double-double and was a new career-high in both rebounds and assists for C. Smith, who also shot a season high .571 percent (4-7) from the field and last week was awarded the first-ever NCAC Defensive Player of the Week award.

Trevor Reed added 12 points, eight boards and three blocks while Gates Flynn finished with 10 points and three assists. For Reed, who matched C. Smith by shooting 4-for-7 as well, it was a career-high in both rebounds and blocks as a freshman while for Flynn, who was 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from three, it was his second game in a row scoring 10 points.

In all, Denison outrebounded OWU by 10 (44-34), had four players with seven or more rebounds, and had six players with one or more made 3-pointers.

There were seven ties and five lead changes in the first half as Denison took a four-point lead at halftime (41-37) after a 3-pointer by Nick Heath and a pair of layups by C. Smith to close out the first half.

The Big Red then never trailed in the second half as Denison opened the final period with a layup by Radtke on its first possession, and then after a layup by Kellon Smith and a 3-pointer by Scotty Dean made it a nine-point lead (48-39) just under four minutes in, the closest OWU would get the rest of the way would be to within five (64-59) with under five minutes left to play.

With just under four and a half minutes left, a 3-pointer by Tyler Miller made it 67-59 Big Red, and then a layup by K. Smith made it 69-61 with under four minutes to go.

Reed put the bow on the victory with a fastbreak dunk assisted by C. Smith to make it a 10-point lead (74-64) in the final two minutes before Dean finished 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute.

With the win, Denison (6-4 overall, 4-0 NCAC) snapped a three-game losing streak to OWU (2-8, 1-3) after losing twice by at least 14 points last season.

Saturday's contest against OWU was the third game of a four-game homestand for Denison, which will conclude next Saturday (Dec. 16) with a nonconference tilt against Bluffton University starting at 1 p.m. inside Livingston Gymnasium.