Both teams went toe-to-toe in the first half. Slugging it out like a couple of heavyweight fighters, Denison hit 17-of-25 shots in the first half spearheaded by the inside play of sophomore Dan Hodgkinson who entered the locker room with 22 points. Chicago also connected on 17 field goals and led by one, 47-46 at the break.
The second half belonged to Chicago from the start. Even on a rare Maroon miss, they crashed the boards and had second and third chances to score on the offensive end. The Maroon outscored Denison 42-18 over the final 20 minutes to lock up the victory.
Hodgkinson ended the night with a career-high 35 points. He was 12-of-15 from the field and 11-of-13 from the free throw line in only 26 minutes of action. It marked the first 30+ point game for a Big Red player since Perry Young scored 37 points against Allegheny on Jan. 25, 2003.
Hodgkinson was the only Big Red player to reach double-figures. Robb Hern scored seven points and had a team-high six rebounds.
While the story of the game was Chicago’s superb shooting a large part of the win can be attributed to Chicago’s advantage on the boards. They outrebounded the Big Red 36-21 and hauled in 13 offensive rebounds compared to just one for Denison. They made the most of those offensive boards, outscoring Denison 21-2 in second chance opportunities.
Five Maroon players reached double-figures. They were led by Justin Waldie’s 15 points. Jesse Meyer had 14 points while Brian Cuttica connected on five shots from the field and two from the free throw line for 12 points. Jason Vismantas and Drew Adams both chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Denison (3-6) will hit the hardwood next on Dec. 29 when they travel to Bluffton for their annual holiday tournament.