Photos: Courtesy Jason Evans S
Groundhog day came early as Denver (4-12, 0-2) faced the same problems that have plagued them all season long in a 82-71 loss to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Denver made 22-65 shots from the field for 33.8%. North Dakota drained 48% of their shots – that was the game.
In the first half, the teams traded buckets until 9:26 of the period when North Dakota took a lead they would never relinquish. Lay-ups and free throws ballooned the Fighting Hawks advantage to 11 points four different times and a free throw by Marlon Stewart at 3:09 gave the visitors their largest lead of 12 points. The half ended 39-28, North Dakota.
North Dakota held a double digit lead until the middle of the second half. A three-point shot by Roscoe Eastmond started a Pioneer comeback and cut the lead to 8 points, 64-48, with 9:51 to go. Denver started to get some stops followed by jumpers by Taelyr Gatlin and Jase ownsend, two free throws by Roscoe Eastmond and a 3-point shot from Jase Townsend to draw within 1-point. But, North Dakota responded with two three-point shots of their own to lead by 7 points. Denver could never fully recover from the Fighting Hawk surge and fell by a final score of 82-71.
While the best team clearly won the game, Denver was on the wrong side of nearly every 50/50 call. North Dakota had 31 free throws for the night to Denver’s 22. Jase Townsend had an excellent game with 23 points and 4 rebounds. Roscoe Eastmond and Ade Murkey chipped in with 10 points each. Denver won the turnover battle 16-10 but gave up a whopping 36 points in the paint.
One again, DU played hard, but the result was the same – a loss that was very close with just 3-4 minutes remaining. Nobody wins in D-I shooting 35% for a game. UND outscored DU 16-7 down the stretch with their experience, while DU’s youth lineup finished the game with only freshmen and sophomores playing the last 11 minutes.
I found the Murkey sub-out for the final 11 minutes very curious. He had 10 points on the night, yet he never returned to the game, and his absence, as DU’s only senior, was very surprising to these eyes – perhaps pivotal to the outcome?
Was he hurt? sick? benched? Rodney never came on the radio postgame show, either. That’s unusual too…
This was an opponent picked just above DU. To lose at home is frustrating, certainly.
There may have been only a few hundred people in the house at DU (box said 742, but it was probably closer to 350, but I think we die hard fans would like to know what went down with Murkey, and why Billups did not do his postgame appearance…We’ll probably never know…
On the plus side, 21 of 22 free throws? Is that right? Someone got the memo!
Looks like we are only win a few games the rest off the way when our opponents play terribly. This will happen. Maybe some reserve can have a hot night from 3 which might let us steal a win. Frosh Rodney and Jones will be really good 4 year players. Hope they stay. Dunker does appreciate the positive attitudes the entire team seems to be maintaining.
One thing that appears to be consistent with this team is effort and togetherness. No moping on the bench or heads down.
Roscoe, not Rodney
Rodneys deal was all but signed Around this time in joes last year. I’m assuming DU has an agreement in principle with his replacement. This has gotten out of hand.
I just don’t see DU firing Rodney in year four of his five year deal, although it is possible. If DU can keep the non-alum Kerry Cremeans for five years coaching the DU women to dreadful seasons, I do think DU will keep Rodney for the full term of his five years as he’s a beloved alum, has a very, very young team and newly-hired assistants who are already having some impact defensively, especially three-point defense.
I think DU is going to give Rodney every chance to prove he’s a D-I coach…