GAMBIER, Ohio – The Kenyon Ladies (15-5, 9-2 NCAC) held off the Denison University Big Red on Wednesday night and earned a 41-38 victory in a North Coast Athletic Conference basketball game at Tomsich Arena. It was the sixth straight victory for Kenyon.
 
After a few missed free throws late by Kenyon, Denison had a chance to tie the game in the end, but Valesha Province's three-point shot from near the top of the arc missed pushing the home team to victory.
 
While the Ladies struggled from the field – 17-of-67 (25.4%) – they did get just enough from their compliment of players to snap a three-game losing streak to the Big Red. On the defensive end, Kenyon was good again holding the Big Red to 28.9 percent (13-of-45) shooting.
 
Jessica Gerber and Bailey Dominguez each scored eight, while Miranda Diesz made her presence felt all over the court totaling seven points, seven rebounds and collecting four steals. Additionally, Sharon Hull, Sidney Cera and Paige Matijasich each contributed at least four points.
 
The Ladies got off to a good start in the first as they held a 13-2 lead after Lane Davis hit a jumper at 3:21. Denison was able to cut the deficit to six points (13-7) by the end of the quarter though after Emily Krumpe converted an and-one opportunity.
 
In the second, Denison inched a little closer. A pair of free throws from Jordan Holmes – who became the NCAA Division III's all-time leader in rebounds during the game – at 6:28 brought the count to 15-14. Following a Diesz jumper at 1:56, the visitors got to within two (20-18) a couple of possessions later as Gaby Mehringer hit a jumper. That 20-18 score remained until halftime.
 
Third-quarter action saw the Ladies keep the advantage in their favor and extend it a bit. Kenyon had a pair of eight-point leads on a Diesz three-pointer and the other on a Dominguez long ball before closing the stanza with a 34-28 lead.
 
Dominguez added another three-ball to start the fourth before Denison made things interesting. Down by nine (37-28), Province hit back-to-back three-pointers and brought the score to 37-36 with just under six minutes remaining. Kenyon then scored the next four points on two Gerber free throws and a Cera runner in the paint to go up 41-36.  Denison's next opportunity down the court resulted in a miss, and on the ensuing Kenyon possession, Charlotte Bussema came up with a key offensive rebound allowing several more seconds to roll off.
 
The Big Red got one more shot to go from Province with 10 seconds left, but couldn't tie the game after that even after a couple free throw misses from Kenyon.
 
Next up for the Ladies is a home date with Ohio Wesleyan University on February 4 at 1 p.m. Kenyon defeated OWU 70-54 back on December 17.