Salem, Va. - In the final game of the Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic, the No. 18-ranked Denison Big Red women's basketball team triumphed over the Roanoke Maroons by a score of 80-57. Both the Big Red and the Maroons had won their previous games in the round robin. The victory brings Denison's record to 12-0, while the Maroons now sit at 5-5. The Big Red are just one of 12 Division III institutions that are still undefeated at this point in the season.

First Quarter

In the first quarter, both teams traded blows to the point where neither one could pull away from the other for long. Senior Brooke Toigo shone on both offense and defense, draining two three-pointers and nabbing a steal and a rebound in the first. As a team, however, Denison struggled to capitalize on its offensive possessions as it's used to. The Big Red shot 8-21 from the field and 2-7 from deep. Despite this, Denison still managed to lead 21-18 at the end of the first.

Second Quarter

Denison's shooting woes continued in the second. The Big Red attempted five threes, converting on none. However, Denison hit the boards hard, bringing down eight offensive rebounds in the second quarter compared to Roanoke's four. This allowed the Big Red to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, which proved to be instrumental in keeping them in the fight. At half, the game was knotted up at 35. 

Third Quarter

Denison came out of the break scorching hot, breaking the lid off the basket and scoring 11 unanswered to open the second half. No matter where the Roanoke offense looked, the Big Red were there. Toigo added another steal to her total, and Anelly Mad-toingué swatted her third block of the night in the third quarter. The Big Red outscored its opponent 24-11 in the third quarter. Going into the fourth, Denison held the advantage at 59-46.

Fourth Quarter

The Big Red continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, going on a 13-4 run to start the quarter. From a shooting standpoint, the fourth quarter was the best quarter of the game for Denison, as they went 10-13 from the field. The Big Red closed the game in dominant fashion, leading by as much as 26 at one point. 

All Tournament Team

MVP Denison #23 Anelly Mad-toingué

Denison #32 Brooke Toigo

Roanoke #14 Ashley Fowler

Roanoke #25 Abigail Rice

Geneva #15 Emily Garvin

Albright #5 Chrisdin Jones

Top Performers:

• Toigo led the Big Red in points, with 15 on her night, while junior guards Ada Taute and Abby Cooch each added 14 points.

• Cooch was the assists leader for Denison, dishing out five.

• Mad-toingué owned the paint, pulling down 10 rebounds to lead the team. This marked a double-double night for Mad-toingué, who also had 10 points. It was her third double-double of the season.

• Adding to her 10 points and rebounds, Mad-toingué also recorded four blocks.

Up Next for the Big Red:

Denison will kick off the New Year at home in Granville, Ohio, hosting Kenyon College on Saturday, January 3 at 1 p.m.