PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Denison men's basketball battled wire-to-wire but fell 90–87 to Carnegie Mellon on Saturday afternoon inside the Highmark Center. The Big Red (2-1, 0-0 NCAC) traded leads with the Tartans in a high-tempo matchup featuring multiple lead changes and clutch shot-making.

1st Half:
Denison traded baskets with Carnegie Mellon early in the game and didn't take the lead until just under 10 minutes remained in the first half, tied at 22–22. Trevor Reed knocked down clutch free throws to put the Big Red ahead by one. The Tartans then went on a 6–0 run, but Nick Heath responded with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two. Heath caught fire, hitting two more consecutive three-pointers before Carnegie Mellon evened the score at 32–32, prompting a Denison timeout.

With less than six minutes remaining in the half, Reed added a pair of free throws and a three-pointer, and Lucas Dickinson converted a layup, giving Denison a 39–32 lead. In the final two minutes, however, the Big Red struggled to get quality shots as the Tartans chipped away with free throws and a buzzer-beater, heading into halftime with a 47–43 lead.

2nd Half:
Carnegie Mellon jumped out early in the second half, scoring multiple layups to stretch the largest deficit of the game to 53–43 with 18 minutes remaining. Denison finally got on the board in the 17th minute with a layup from Luke Salkowski. Both teams then struggled to find their shots until Trevor Reed powered in a dunk with 16 minutes left, cutting the deficit to 54–48. Lucas Dickinson knocked down a three-pointer shortly after, bringing the Big Red within two, 54–52, with under 15 minutes to play.

The game was tied at 54–54 with 14 minutes remaining before Samson Zack hit a three-pointer to put Denison ahead, 57–56, forcing a Carnegie Mellon timeout. The teams continued trading baskets over the next several minutes. The Tartans regained the lead on a three-pointer with under three minutes to go, but Reed answered with back-to-back threes with just under two minutes remaining, putting Denison down by one, 88–87, with 37 seconds left. Carnegie Mellon made key free throws in the final seconds to secure the 90–87 victory.

Key Performances – Denison:

• Trevor Reed: Led the team with 25 points, adding eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. He was a force from deep, hitting 5-of-9 three-pointers, and made several clutch shots down the stretch.

• Nick Heath: Contributed nine points, three rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Heath knocked down 3-of-5 from three-point range and provided a spark with key baskets in the second half.

• Aidan King: Scored nine points with three rebounds and two assists, including two critical free throws late in the game that kept Denison within striking distance.

• Lucas Dickinson: Added seven points and three rebounds, including a pivotal three-pointer in the second-half that helped cut into Carnegie Mellon's lead.

• Liam Taylor: Finished with 11 points and five rebounds, hitting multiple timely baskets in the second half to keep Denison in the game.

Denison shot 49.2% from the field, including 48.4% from three, and got strong contributions off the bench, but could not overcome Carnegie Mellon's lead late in the game.

The Big Red hit the road next, traveling just down the street to face Capital on November 29 at 7 p.m.