Denison snaps DPU NCAC home streak

The DePauw University women's basketball team held a three-point lead early in the fourth, but the Tigers connected on just one of its final 15 field goal tries as Denison outscored the hosts, 16-4, the rest of the way to take a 63-54 North Coast Athletic Conference win in Neal Fieldhouse.

DePauw dropped to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC, while Denison improved to 11-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The loss snapped DePauw's streak of 96 straight regular season conference home wins that dated back to January of 2003.

The game featured eight ties and 14 lead changes with Denison leading by as many as six in the first half on the way to a 27-23 halftime advantage.

DePauw fell behind by five at 32-27 after Denison's Jordan Holmes hit a pair of free throws with 7:11 left in the third. The Tigers, however, hit 9-of-11 the remainder of the quarter to take a 48-47 lead into the fourth. Maya Howard nailed all six of her field goal tries, most on driving layups, in the stanza and totaled 13 of DePauw's 25 points.

Howard's layup to start the fourth pushed the Tigers' lead to 50-47, but DePauw was unable to convert on eight straight possessions as the Big Red scored six consecutive to gain a 53-50 advantage with 4:12 left.

Colleen Connors ended the drought with a jumper at the 3:57 mark to cut the deficit to 53-52. Denison led, 56-52, after Holmes made a pair of free throws with 3:04 remaining. Howard's two free throws with 1:16 left trimmed the lead to 56-54, but DePauw came up empty on its final four possessions as Denison scored the game's final seven points.

Making her first collegiate start, Howard led all scorers with a career-high 19 points along with three steals, while Emily Budde added 15 points and Abby Keller grabbed eight rebounds. Holmes paced Denison with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Gabrielle Nottage added 12 points.

DePauw shot 33.3 percent for the game to Denison's 42.9 percent and the Tigers hit just 1-of-9 3-pointers to the Big Red's 4-of-6. Denison also outscored the Tigers at the charity stripe 19-8, and held a 39-28 edge on the boards.

The Tigers committed just eight turnovers to Denison's 19, but DePauw could only convert them into 12 points.

DePauw returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 9, with a 1 p.m. NCAC game at Kenyon.The DePauw University women's basketball team held a three-point lead early in the fourth, but the Tigers connected on just one of its final 15 field goal tries as Denison outscored the hosts, 16-4, the rest of the way to take a 63-54 North Coast Athletic Conference win in Neal Fieldhouse.

DePauw dropped to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the NCAC, while Denison improved to 11-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The loss snapped DePauw's streak of 96 straight regular season conference home wins that dated back to January of 2003.

The game featured eight ties and 14 lead changes with Denison leading by as many as six in the first half on the way to a 27-23 halftime advantage.

DePauw fell behind by five at 32-27 after Denison's Jordan Holmes hit a pair of free throws with 7:11 left in the third. The Tigers, however, hit 9-of-11 the remainder of the quarter to take a 48-47 lead into the fourth. Maya Howard nailed all six of her field goal tries, most on driving layups, in the stanza and totaled 13 of DePauw's 25 points.

Howard's layup to start the fourth pushed the Tigers' lead to 50-47, but DePauw was unable to convert on eight straight possessions as the Big Red scored six consecutive to gain a 53-50 advantage with 4:12 left.

Colleen Connors ended the drought with a jumper at the 3:57 mark to cut the deficit to 53-52. Denison led, 56-52, after Holmes made a pair of free throws with 3:04 remaining. Howard's two free throws with 1:16 left trimmed the lead to 56-54, but DePauw came up empty on its final four possessions as Denison scored the game's final seven points.

Making her first collegiate start, Howard led all scorers with a career-high 19 points along with three steals, while Emily Budde added 15 points and Abby Keller grabbed eight rebounds. Holmes paced Denison with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Gabrielle Nottage added 12 points.

DePauw shot 33.3 percent for the game to Denison's 42.9 percent and the Tigers hit just 1-of-9 3-pointers to the Big Red's 4-of-6. Denison also outscored the Tigers at the charity stripe 19-8, and held a 39-28 edge on the boards.

The Tigers committed just eight turnovers to Denison's 19, but DePauw could only convert them into 12 points.

DePauw returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 9, with a 1 p.m. NCAC game at Kenyon.