CHICAGO, Ill. - The Elmhurst women's basketball team finished the North Park University Thanksgiving Tournament with a 48-44 loss to Denison University. 

The Bluejays were limited to their lowest output of the season in big part because they shot just 2-of-21 from three-point range. The interior was tough sledding as well for Elmhurst as Denison's Jordan Holmes finished with a triple-double (15 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 blocks).

The first quarter included four ties and three lead changes as the teams both made runs. Five different Bluejays recorded points in the quarter, but it was Denison who took a three-point lead into the first break. 
 

Defense dominated the second quarter as the teams combined for just 16 points. Denison opened with two straight buckets to take its largest lead of the contest, seven points. Hannah Lipman cut the lead to four with a three-pointer, but the teams went cold from there, missing the game's next nine shots over a three-minute span. Despite shooting just 1-of-12 from three-point range in the first half, the Bluejays only trailed by five at halftime. 

After the Big Red scored the first two buckets of the second half, Elmhurst went on an 11-0 tear over the next four minutes to take their first lead since early in the first quarter. A three-pointer by Claire Monroe in the final seconds of the quarter, put the Bluejays in front by two heading into the final quarter. 

Denison jumped ahead with a pair of jumpers early in the final frame and did not trail again in the fourth quarter, but Elmhurst did pull even on three different occasions. Solid fourth-quarter defense kept Elmhurst in the game, but shooting 2-for-15 from the floor in the quarter was too much to overcome. 

Mikaela Eppard was the only player to reach double-figures for Elmhurst, scoring 12 points. Claire Monroe and Michaela Kumer added nine points apiece. The Bluejays were plus-nine in turnovers, but shot just 24-percent from the field in the loss. Eppard and Lipman were both named to the all-tournament team. 

Denison shot 42-percent from the field and just 1-of-7 from three-point range. Akilah Fletcher added 12-points as the third and final player to reach double-digit points. 

Elmhurst looks to bounce-back this Wednesday, December 2 when they travel to UW-Whiatewater for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. Last season, the Bluejays knocked off the ranked Warhawks at R.A. Faganel Hall.