Three teams were battling for the final non-play-in game for the Summit League Tournament. A win against UMKC on the road in DU’s second-to-last regular season game would cement DU in the driver’s seat. Unfortunately, poor shooting, uneven officiating and the inability to get on a scoring run led to the 64-56 road loss. Continue reading DU suffers Critical loss to UMKC, 64-56
Category Archives: Men’s Basketball
Akins Secures Freshman Scoring Record as Denver Drops ORU, 71-60
It was a critical game for Denver men’s basketball as they attempted to improve their seeding in the Summit League standings to avoid the extra play-in game in the Summit League Tournament. Freshman Sebastian Akins led the Pioneers with 15 points, securing the freshman scoring record at the University of Denver. However, it was lockdown defense and a rapidly improving Abdulai Fanta Kabba anchoring the interior that put an exclamation point on the 71-60 home win. Continue reading Akins Secures Freshman Scoring Record as Denver Drops ORU, 71-60
Denver Falls in OT in Fargo, 89-84
Denver traveled to Fargo Saturday afternoon, seeking to cap a road sweep in the Dakotas against North Dakota and Noth Dakota State. The Bison shot 17 of 33 from downtown for the game to slip past Denver in extra time. Jacari White and Jackson Moni combined for 50 of the Bison 84 points. DU freshman guard Sebastian Akins kept DU in the fight with 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the road loss. Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente was out with injury and his size was missed. Continue reading Denver Falls in OT in Fargo, 89-84
Denver Guards Spark Win in Grand Forks, 68-64
DU needed a win following a three-game conference losing skid. It was a sloppy start early in the first half in Grand Forks but Denver built as much as a 21-point lead that would narrow in the second half. DU’s guards DeAndre Craig (11 points, 7 rebounds), Nicholas Shogbonyo (14 points, 6 rebounds) and Sebastian Akins (16 points) played strong down the stretch for the tight 68-64 road win over North Dakota. Continue reading Denver Guards Spark Win in Grand Forks, 68-64
Denver Wilts Under South Dakota Press, 86-79
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. Continue reading Denver Wilts Under South Dakota Press, 86-79
Craig Heroics Propel DU past UMKC, 69-68
The shortest player on the court, 6’0″ DeAndre Craig delivered a dramatic victory in the final seconds at Hamilton Gym. DU trailed by three, 68-65, with only two seconds remaining, DeAndre Craig went to the foul line and sunk his first free throw, 66-68. Craig intentionally missed the second free throw and followed up his miss in traffic, laying the ball into the basket and a foul. Craig buried the free throw for the lead, 69-68, and the win. UMKC’s final heave down-court and subsequent shot was wide of the mark. Continue reading Craig Heroics Propel DU past UMKC, 69-68
Denver Snaps Nine Game Losing Streak, Beats ORU 70-68
Denver men’s basketball (7-15, 1-6) traveled to Tulsa Thursday night to face the ORU Golden Eagles. Both teams have struggled this season but for DU, the game offered a chance to snap a six-game conference skid on the road. Denver put together two solid halves and scored the winning bucket when freshman Sebastian Akins drove the lane and passed to an open Kabba Abdualai Fanta for the dunk, 70-68, with 1.5 seconds remaining in the game. Continue reading Denver Snaps Nine Game Losing Streak, Beats ORU 70-68
Denver Second Half Push Falls Short at St. Thomas, 74-62
Saturday night Denver traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota to play the St. Thomas Tommies. The game featured the return of DU point guard DeAndre Craig from a concussion. Still, the first half looked like a repeat of Denver’s nine-game losing streak. However, the Pioneers (6-15, 0-6) stormed back from a 17-point first-half deficit to draw within one point of the Tommies with less than five minutes to go in the game. St. Thomas sunk shots and free throws down the stretch while DU went cold, final score 74-62. Continue reading Denver Second Half Push Falls Short at St. Thomas, 74-62
Denver Falls to Omaha 80-62, Tumbles to 0-5 in Conference Play
It was Déjà vu all over again. The under-sized Pioneers (6-14, 0-5), without their starting point guard DeAndre Craig, could not hold off the Omaha Mavericks at Hamilton gym Wednesday night. When the Mavs drove inside the paint they either found points (30) or were fouled (18-22 – 82%). When the Pioneers collapsed to defend the paint, Omaha passed to the perimeter and buried 10-18 three-point shots (55.6%) to hold the lead most of the game. It was Denver’s 8th loss in a row while the Mavs maintained first place in the Summit League with the win, their 7th in a row. Continue reading Denver Falls to Omaha 80-62, Tumbles to 0-5 in Conference Play
Early Run Triggers NDSU Win Over DU, 69-50
The result was the same (a loss) but the overall effort and execution on defense was much improved in the 69-50 loss to the North Dakota State Bison on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gym. Denver remains both winless (0-4) and shorthanded in Summit League play. Continue reading Early Run Triggers NDSU Win Over DU, 69-50