The state of Indiana has really been like a second home for the Big Red this season. In two trips to the Hoosier state, Denison has picked up a pair of key North Coast Athletic Conference victories. The most recent was a 78-69 win over conference newcomer DePauw on Wednesday in Greencastle.
The win marked DU's fourth victory in the last five contests. Of those four wins, three came on the road. With this recent string of wins, Denison has put itself back in the hunt for a home game in the opening round of the NCAC Tournament.
After trailing by as many as eight in the second half, DePauw's Michael Wilkison knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:59 left in regulation to shrink the deficit to 66-60.
After the Tigers forced a jump ball on the ensuing possession, DU had less than 10 seconds to get a shot off. That proved to be no issue for senior Brett Tiberi as he took the inbounds pass from fellow senior Mike Garabedian and buried a fall-away 3-pointer as the shot clock expired.
DePauw made it a game late when Barry Flynn converted back-to-back Denison turnovers into points, cutting the margin to 71-67. However, the Big Red, who have been up-and-down at the charity stripe this season, hit 7-of-8 in the final 36 seconds to secure the nine-point win. Sophomore Alex Longi converted all four attempts from the line, while Garabedian went 3-for-4.
The Big Red trailed by as many as eight points late in the first half, but a 17-2 run that extended into the second period put Denison on top 47-40 with 13:10 to play. After going down by double figures, the Tigers roared back to close the deficit to one. However, clutch three-pointers by Garabedian and Tiberi, and a solid performance from the foul line set up the dramatic finish.
In the absence of leading scorer Dimonde Hale, who was saddled with foul trouble for the majority of the game, Garabedian and Tiberi picked up the slack with a game-high 14 points each. Longi chipped in 12 point, while senior Larry Farmer added 10 points and 15 rebounds. Garabedian also pulled down eight rebounds, while Tiberi handed out four assists.
Sean Haseley and Kevin Sullivan each scored 13 points to pace the Tigers, while Flynn added 11 points and five rebounds.
DU shot 48 percent (26-for-54) from the field, including a 61 percent clip in the second half. On the flip side, after hitting 57 percent in the first period DePauw ended the game shooting 44 percent (26-for-59) from the floor. The Big Red held a 39-24 edge on the glass and knocked down 16 of their 21 attempts at the foul line.
Denison improves to 10-12 with the win, while DePauw falls to 13-9. The two squads are tied for fifth in the NCAC with 7-6 records. DU looks to avenge another loss on Saturday when they travel to Allegheny College. Tip-off from Meadville is slated for 3 p.m.