GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Kenyon College Lords couldn't control the glass Saturday and it cost them a conference basketball game. Denison University outrebounded Kenyon 49-25 and held on for a 67-58 victory in what was the first North Coast Athletic Conference game of the season for the Lords.
 
Kenyon (1-4, 0-1 NCAC) trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and by as many as 14 in the second half. The game, however, was not out of reach. The Lords went on a 9-0 run late in the contest and turned a 55-42 deficit into a manageable 55-51 deficit with just under five minutes left on the clock.
 
Down the stretch, Denison (6-0, 2-0 NCAC) regained control on the boards and at the free throw line. The Big Red converted seven of their final ten free throws and out-rebounded Kenyon, 7-2, over the game's last few minutes.
 
After Kenyon's Phillip Crampton hit a close-range with 4:23 left, the Lords went cold, missing seven of their final nine attempts. Overall, the Lords shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) for the game. They shot just 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from three-point range and were limited to just a 3-for-6 showing at the free throw line.
 
At the start of the game, Crampton fired in the first bucket. That was the first and last time the Lords had the lead. Denison scored the next seven points. Alexander Powell then brought Kenyon back to a 7-7 tie, but Denison replied with another seven-point run. Kenyon never got closer than three the rest of the first half, which ended with Denison holding a 34-25 lead.
 
The Big Red did not shoot well, draining just 24-of-64 attempts (37.5 percent), but their dominance on the boards was enough to get them by. They scored 15 second-chance points, compared to just five for Kenyon.
 
Garrett Collier led the way for Denison by scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Both David Meurer and Jett Speelman added 12 points, while Meurer grabbed another seven boards.
 
Sophomore guard Matt Shifrin led the Lords with 15 points. Crampton chipped in 13 and Will Sigl added ten. Shifrin, Crampton and Ethan Shapiro tied for the team lead with four rebounds apiece. Shifrin also had a team-high seven assists.
 
Kenyon, which has only played one home game so far this season, return to Tomsich Arena for back-to-back games against Allegheny College on Wednesday and Wabash College on Saturday.