Denver (7-5) returned to the Hamilton hardwood after playing two tough ranked opponents in Colorado State and BYU. Denver faced the Adams State Grizzlies from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC-DII). Denver came out slowly and it looked like a mismatch after the first 20 minutes, but the Grizzlies put on a second-half push to close the DU lead to one but finally fell to Denver, 89-83.
Denver shot 15% in the first ten minutes and trailed 16-14. DU’s Tommy Bruner knotted the score with a bunny at 8:33. Denver pulled away to a comfortable 11-point edge over the next 11 minutes. Tommy Bruner delivered a long-distance tray at the buzzer to give DU a 46-32 lead at the half.
However, a funny thing happened on the way to a rout. The game turned into a second-half nail-biter.
By 16:29 of the 2nd half, DU’s margin grew to 56-40, but the Grizzlies came clawing back. Adams State started getting easy fast break points and securing offensive rebounds. The Grizz dropped the DU lead to six, 63-57, at the midway point of the second half. An Austin Fadal layup pulled ASU within one point, 66-65 at 6:27. Bruner scored 11 points down the stretch, 36 in all, to keep the visitors from ever gaining the lead. In the waning minutes, the Pioneers went 6 for 6 from the line to ensure the win with Tommy Bruner, Touko Tainamo and Jaxson Brenchley sinking all their charity opportunities.
For the game, Adams State punished DU on the boards (41-37) and outshot the Pioneers from the field (47.1% vs 39.3%) while nailing 9 three-point shots to only 4 for DU. Denver went 4 of 25 from beyond the arc to allow the Grizzlies to hang around. In addition to Denver’s shooting and rebounding woes, Adams State scored 44 points in the paint – an area Denver must address between now and Summit League play. Adams State used their quick guard play and fast breaks to exploit Denver’s defense. All that being said, after losing nearly every statistical category, Denver was still able to hold off the Grizzlies for the win.
Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun was none too pleased with the night’s effort. Wulbrun credited Adams State but challenged his team to improve, “Credit to Adams State. Kenny Tripp (Adams State Coach) had his team ready. We are a long way away from being where we need to be. They made it difficult (for us) to maintain (our) offense. On the defensive end, they drove on us and we gave up threes. Not a great effort. Their guys played the way I wish our guys would have played tonight. We need to learn from it. I’ve got to do a better job getting my team ready.”
Tommy Bruner led Denver with 37 points and 4 rebounds. Touko Tainamo had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jaxson Brenchley finished with 5 points but a valuable 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 assists in a solid all-around game.
No excuses for Denver’s performance but a late December contest against a DII team in nonconference play can be tricky. Tonight, DU men’s basketball narrowly escaped an in-state foe that valued this game more than they did.
Worst DU hoops win Dunker can remember. Offensive spacing terrible. Kids we bringing ball behind their heads and launching shots like they were at the YMCA. If we’re improved, and I think we are, games like this should never happen. Mucho props to the Adams State players and their coaches.
Playing Adams State is a buzkill. These DII games don’t help the Pioneers. I hate that so few DI teams will come here to play, because playing DU is a risk for them, and DU can’t really afford to buy teams to play here.
I’m sure that Jeff Welbrun also hates scheduling these dud games against DII and DIII competitors. His teams don’t like them either, because there is little to gain and everything to lose when you play them – you beat them up and it’s no contest/bad habits time, and if you barely beat them or God forbid, you lose to them — you’re now seen as inept.
DU fans don’t like to go to these game either, even if forced pay for them as part of their ticket package. It’s the cruddy part of the ticket package that stays on the computer… A necessary evil of being a mid-major where there aren’t many other D-I schools in driving distance willing to play you at altitude without a five-figure guarantee.
Who likes these games? The beancounters do. DU schedules them because:
1) Hoops budget is tight. DU Trustees need to think bigger.
2) D-I home opponents are expensive (and many of the won’t come to DU, preferring their own home game revenue)
3) The financial guarantees to sign DII, DIII or NAIA opponents are pretty small (four figures)
4) The wins count in the DU record (four wins against non-DI opponents may help a rebuilding program look better to casual fans)
5) DU can charge the same ticket price to watch sub D-I teams as they charge for D-I opponents.
This is the ugly reality of where DU is now in the D-I hoops food chain.
Win 20 games, get to the big dance, get to a top 100 RPI and the money, better recruits, better conferences and the better opponents follow…