GRANVILLE, Ohio (January 23, 2024) – After leading the Big Red to a perfect 2-0 week featuring big wins over DePauw University (54-48) at home and then on the road at Oberlin College (74-62) last week, freshman guard Ada Taute of the Denison University women's basketball team has been named the North Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Athlete of the Week and was also named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week.

Overall, Taute averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds in two big wins for Denison this week. She also shot 50 percent from the field (16-32) and added three assists, three steals and two blocks. Taute finished with a game-high 14 points while adding seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks and scoring each of Denison's final six points to seal the win as the Big Red handed DePauw its first loss of the season in NCAC action on Wednesday. Then on Saturday, Taute scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win as Denison gave Oberlin its first home loss of the year. Taute had 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Yeowomen, both career highs, all while shooting 50 percent or better from both the field (9-17) and from 3-point range (4-8).

Defensively, Taute recorded 16 defensive rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the two wins. Against DePauw, she had seven rebounds, all defensive, added two steals and two blocks, and held the Tigers' Riley Mont to just six points, five points below her season average entering the game. She also had three rebounds and one block in the pivotal fourth quarter against the Tigers, including a big defensive board in the final two minutes as DePauw tried to make it a one-point game with a 3-pointer. Then on Saturday, Taute dominated the boards with nine defensive rebounds and a career-high 11 total rebounds, marking her first-career double-double effort. She recorded three defensive boards in both the third and the fourth quarters against the Yeowomen to help the Big Red complete their second-half comeback.

Taute is the fourth Big Red player (Brooke Toigo; Morgan Kress; Abby Cooch) to earn the NCAC Defensive Player of the Week award this season, and is the first Denison player to be named to the D3hoop.com Team of the Week since Mikaila Carpenter on January 3, 2023.

Next up for the Big Red is a home game against Hiram College starting at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, January 24.
 
NCAC Release
D3hoops.com Team of the Week Release