GRANVILLE, Ohio - December 8, 2021 – Selena Vargas notched her third double-double of the season, and Hiram rallied late from a double-digit deficit, but wasn't enough as the Terriers fell to the Denison University Big Red, 60-52, on Wednesday in Livingston Gymnasium.
 
Vargas got the Terriers on the scoreboard first, with her layup just 20 seconds into what would prove to be a low-scoring first half. Denison evened the game at 2-all on Mikaila Carpenter's bucket with 7:36 to play, before Haley Thompson and the Terriers retook the lead on her jumper.
 
Following a three-minute scoreless stretch by both sides, the Terriers extended their lead out to 8-4 with a 4-2 run, capped off by a layup by Lyndsey Stocks. But the Big Red pulled within one to end the quarter on another layup by Carpenter, two of 14 scored points for the Big Red junior, before pulling ahead in the second.
 
Down 9-8 after one, Denison opened the second quarter with a 7-2 lead, taking a 15-11 lead midway through the period. Vargas pulled Hiram back within two with two of her 10 points, but two quick buckets by the Big Red brought their lead out to six, and a 7-0 run to end the first half gave Denison a 26-18 lead heading into the locker room.
 
Four early third-quarter points by the Terriers, layups by Maddie Rakestraw and Taylor Valaitis, made it a four-point, 26-22, Denison lead. But another Big Red run, this time an 8-0 run spanning four minutes, brought Denison's lead out to its largest of the game so far, 34-22, with 6:10 to play in the third.
 
And while the Terriers pulled back within single digits on Thompson's layup with 4:12 remaining in the third, the Big Red outscored the Terriers, 9-2, over the final four minutes of the third to take a 43-29 lead into the fourth.
 
The Terriers though, wouldn't go quietly, and slowly made their way back. Alex Lichner cut the Big Red lead down to 10 with 6:11 to play, as did a pair of free throws by Stocks with 5:31 remaining.
 
Another Stocks free throw made it 49-40 with 4:42 to play, before two more made it a seven-point game, 49-42, with 3:36 left in the fourth.
 
However, Gabby Elliott sank a three to bring Denison's lead back out to double digits, a lead the Big Red held until just over a minute to play.
 
Down 56-45, Thompson knocked down a triple, pulling Hiram within eight, and after a steal, another Thompson basket made it 56-50 with 34 seconds to play.
 
And after Hannah Wynn went 1-for-2 at the line, Claire Frazier made it a five-point game, 57-52, with 21 seconds left.
 
However, that'd be as close as the Terriers would get, as the Big Red sank their free throws down the stretch to finish off the 60-52 victory, dropping the Terriers to 3-7 (0-3 NCAC), and moving the Big Red to 3-6 (2-1 NCAC) on the year.
 
Thompson led the Terriers with 11 points, while Vargas notched her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Stocks also recorded a career-high with nine points, shooting 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, while Valaitis added seven points, seven rebounds and three assists, tying for a team-high with Rakestraw.
 
As a team, Hiram shot 32.8 percent from the floor, but they picked things up in the fourth quarter, shooting 53.3 percent in the final period.
 
The Terriers continue their road stretch on Saturday, Dec. 11, making the trip to Wooster, Ohio for a conference matchup against The College of Wooster Fighting Scots at 4:00 p.m.