Men's Basketball | 1/31/2026 3:31:00 PM

Granville, Ohio -  The Big Red men's basketball team traveled to Kenyon to continue their in-conference campaign. Riding a two-game win streak, the Big Red were able to battle back and command the second half to take down the Owls 81-69. Kellon Smith recorded a career high in points with 33 to pace the offensive production. Denison remains atop the conference rankings, moving to 13-6 overall and 8-2 in the NCAC. 

First half: 

In enemy territory, the Big Red marched into the Lowry Center to face a loud and energetic Kenyon crowd. Despite an early deep ball from Nick Heath, the Owls were able to go shot-for-shot with Denison. Both teams traded leads early and often in the first half. Another three from Heath gave the Big Red a one-point lead at the halfway mark, but Kenyon would respond with a 7-0 run. Kellon Smith would respond with a three-pointer of his own before both squads would enter a defensive battle. It would be five minutes of game clock before either team would find the bottom of the bucket again. Heading into the closing moments, the Owls held strong to a six-point lead. Points from Smith, Liam Taylor, and Ellis Appiah would send Denison into the half down by one.

Second half: 

To start the second half, both teams continued to trade blows and excelled on the defensive side of the floor. The Owls would strike an 8-0 run over four minutes of game time as Kenyon started to pull away from the Big Red. However, Smith and Jack Steinbach would combine for 14 points in the ensuing possessions, 12 coming from Smith, to put Denison right back into the game. Kenyon was able to get their footing to even out their momentum. With just under 10 minutes left in the game, Appiah would drill a deep three to tie the game at 58 all. Following multiple stops on the defensive end and positive conversions with the ball, the Big Red began to run away with the game. The Big Red connected on their six final shots to put the run away with the win.

Key performers:

• Kellon Smith recorded a career high of 33 points. Smith went 10-14 from the field, 5-8 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe.

• Nick Heath continued his remarkable performance from deep, going 3-5 and totaling 14 points.

• Liam Taylor and Aidan King led in rebounds on the day, both pulling down seven

• The team shot 20-24 from the free-throw line.

Up next: The Big Red will come back home to face Wabash on Wednesday, February 4th, for a 5:30 PM midweek matchup.