Halftime cures what ails DPU in men's win versus Denison

Thursday, January 17, 2013
DePauw junior Jeff Sustarsic blocks Denison junior Alex Longi as he goes in for a layup in the game on Wednesday. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

The DePauw men's basketball team took control in the second half against Denison on Wednesday, opening up a three-point game at halftime into a 79-65 win.

DPU senior Barry Flynn finished with a game-high 23 points on only 11 field goal attempts.

The Tigers found their rhythm from beyond the arc, making 9-of-20 three-pointers in the game.

"That's a real strength of ours," DPU coach Bill Fenlon said. "But we didn't really shoot them that well early, and I thought we shot them too early in the possession in the first half, and it led to some transition baskets for (Denison). The game didn't really have a good feel to it because we we're extending them defensively."

The Tigers led 32-29 at the break, then allowed a quick game-tying three and continued to force their shots early in the shot clock.

"(The shots) come inside-out," Fenlon said. "They come off penetration, and you're just a little more opening because you've extended (the defenders) a little bit. You've run them around."

DPU got it together with Flynn leading the way. He was five-of-five in the second half.

The Big Red lost their focus and the Tigers stretched the lead to six.

Four minutes into the second half Denison coach Bob Ghiloni pulled all five players on the court, platooning a group with instructions.

"You know why you're going in," Ghiloni told his players. "Pick it up."

On the subsequent possession Denison junior D.J. Bridges went straight to the rim with a breakaway dunk.

But energy can only get a team so far against a team executing like DPU did in the second half.

Another hoop from Flynn, this one from the top of the key, extended the lead and forced a Denison timeout.

That didn't help either.

The Tigers continued their run, stretching the lead to as much as 13 on multiple occasions.

After closing the gap to five with 3:23 left in the game, Denison watched DPU sophomore Connor Rich pull up for a ridiculous 30-foot three-point attempt that rattled through with 10 seconds left on the shot clock.

Rich finished with 13 points and three three-pointers.

DPU (10-6, 3-4 NCAC) will travel to Oberlin on Saturday, hoping to carry the rhythm of shooting and defense it showed against Denison (4-12, 2-5).

"I thought we had some stretches where we were really good defensively," Fenlon said. "(We had) just less mistakes. That's what (Denison) is trying to get you to do. They're setting a zillion screens and trying to get you to screw it up.

"We screwed it up a little bit less in the second half. "



At DePauw
Denison
29 36 -- 65
DePauw
32 47 -- 79

Individual scoring
Denison (4-12, 2-5 NCAC): Barnes 8-13 4-5 21, Longi 6-12 3-7 15 Akpapunam 4-10 2-2 11, King 3-6 0-0 6, Weingart 1-4 0-0 3, White 1-4 0-0 3, Bre. Woolard 1-2 0-0 2, Bra. Woolard 1-2 0-0 2, Bridges 1-3 0-0 2, White 0-3 0-0 0, Keller 0-0 0-0 0.
DePauw (10-6, 3-4 NCAC): Flynn 9-11 5-9 23, Wilkison 4-10 4-4 16, Rich 4-8 2-2 13, Botts 2-6 4-4 10, Payne 4-4 0-2 8, Haggin 1-2 1-2 3, Sustarsic 1-3 0-0 2, Johnson 0-1 2-4 2, Burns 1-2 0-0 2, Fernitz 0-0 0-0 0, Patton 0-0 0-0 0.

Team scoring (three-pointers)
DEN 26-59 (4-17) 9-14 65, DPU 26-47 (9-20) 18-27 79.

Rebounds (offensive)
DEN 29 (8), DPU 29 (4).

Turnovers
DEN 12, DPU 9.

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