Eleven turnovers in the first half and 0-12 from downtown in the second half spelled defeat for DU at Hamilton Gym Thursday night. South Dakota’s full- court press stifled the Pioneers and shortened their offensive possessions and took their toll in the the second half as Denver seemed to tire. The loss put Denver in the Summit League cellar.
It was a step back for Denver after winning two of their three previous conference games.
Denver had a solid first half and lead 42-39 at the break despite double-digit turnovers. The South Dakota press kept the game close until DU built an eight point lead with less than five minutes in the half. USD outscored DU 5-0 to end the half 42-39.
The second half featured cold shooting from DU (41%) and icy shooting from beyond the arc. DU stayed within one point of the Coyotes at the ten minute mark but faded down the stretch.
DeAndre Craig led DU with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds. Ultimately, it was 16 turnovers and 0-12 from distance in the second half that spelled the final result.
Next up is St. Thomas noon Saturday at Hamilton Gym.
You never know what this team will deliver. Getting Carr back could help take some of the load off Kabba in the middle, but that won’t stop the turnovers and poor shooting. Also, flatlanders should be the ones tiring at mile high elevation.
While the losing is discouraging, this team is clearly capable of better things. Let’s hope the better things happen here in the stretch run, heading toward a hot March run in Sioux Falls.