DU opened conference play against South Dakota State, defending Summit League champions. The first half was a disaster as the Pioneers were ineffective on both ends of the floor and trailed by 27 at halftime. The second half was much better for Denver, narrowing the deficit to 12 points, but Denver faded again in the final ten minutes. Continue reading South Dakota State Steamrolls DU, 91-70, to Begin Summit League Play
Category Archives: Men’s Basketball
Shorthanded DU Comes Up Short Against Northern Colorado, 82-75
DU dropped a nonconference game Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Gym against the Northern Colorado Bears and fell to 6-9. Ironically, Denver fans are witnessing, perhaps, the best young backcourt in the history of Denver men’s basketball, spearheaded by transfer Nicholas Shogbonyo (15.1 ppg., 4.9 rbs.), sophomore DeAndre Craig (13.2 ppg., 3.3 rebs.) and freshmen Sebastian Akins (12.3 ppg., 2.3 rebs.). Since DU is absent a true low-post defender, DU was outscored 40-14 in the paint and committed 29 fouls trying to keep the Bears on the perimeter. Still, Denver stayed in contact, trailing by one point with a little more than a minute remaining but the Bears finally pulled away for the win, 82-75. Continue reading Shorthanded DU Comes Up Short Against Northern Colorado, 82-75
Denver Drops Two Games on West Coast Swing
Denver finished their two-game West Coast swing Tuesday night with a painful overtime loss against the Cal Poly Mustangs. Two days earlier, Denver fell to Cal State Fullerton 74-59. Cal State exploited Denver’s lack of size in the paint. On Tuesday night, the Mustangs used deadly three-point shooting to down Denver in overtime, 95-94. Continue reading Denver Drops Two Games on West Coast Swing
Early Success Pushes Denver Past UCCS, 94-87
DU men’s basketball played the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) at Hamilton Gym Tuesday night. Denver rode a torrid offensive first half, shooting 51.5% from the floor and 7-13 (54%) from three-point range to take a 49-35 halftime lead. The Mountain Lions clawed their way back into the game in the second half. In the final five minutes, DU’s lead was carved to four points but each time Denver responded with a run of their own. A three-point make by DeAndre Craig in the final minute-and-a-half finished off the scoring and the game ended 94-87 DU. Continue reading Early Success Pushes Denver Past UCCS, 94-87
Red Hot DU Torches Sacramento State, 80-59
Denver men’s basketball (4-6) needed a game like tonight. Coming off a four-game losing streak on the road, the young, shorthanded team needed a good game for their confidence. The Pioneer guards overwhelmed the Hornets Wednesday night at Hamilton Gym. Denver shot Sacramento State out of the gym going 14-34 (43%) from three-point range and coasted to a well-deserved win. Continue reading Red Hot DU Torches Sacramento State, 80-59
Undermanned DU falls to Portand, 101-90, in Double OT
The Portland Pilots outplayed visiting Denver men’s basketball by nine points in the first half. DU returned the favor with a nine-point edge in the second twenty minutes of regulation to take the game to overtime. The Pilots eventually wore down Denver in the second overtime period to coast to a 101-90 win. Continue reading Undermanned DU falls to Portand, 101-90, in Double OT
Scoring Drought Leads to 68-54 Utah Tech Loss
Denver men’s basketball (3-5) played the Utah Tech Trailblazers Wednesday afternoon at the Stew Morrill Classic in Missoula, Montana. DU was without center Isaiah Carr, out indefinitely with a hand injury. It was the third game in three days for a depleted roster missing three of their four front line players from earlier in the season. That left the Pioneers with one big man, Pedro Lopez Sanvicente to protect the paint along with a host of freshmen guards and transfer guard Nicholas Shogbonyo. Ultimately, it was a ten-minute scoreless streak that stretched from the first half into the second half that put DU in a deficit they could never overcome. Continue reading Scoring Drought Leads to 68-54 Utah Tech Loss
C-Sun Blasts Denver, 89-60
Denver men’s basketball (3-4) started the game with a small line-up to include Isaiah Addo Ankrah, Nicholas Shogbonyo, Josh Pickett, Sabastian Akins and Jon Mani against the Cal State Northridge Matadors, DU’s center Isaiah Carr was out of the lineup, likely with a hand injury incurred during yesterday’s game. Denver got in early foul trouble with nine fouls and entered the double bonus by the midway point of the first half. Denver fell into a double-digit hole, 35-18, as Cal State Northridge went on a 14-0 run. Denver was doubled up 40-20 with 4:45 remaining. It was a brutal half that had the Denver coaching staff call a timeout and an emotional challenge by head Coach Wulbrun to his team in the final five minutes. The first half ended 48-33. C-Sun shot 57% from the field to the Pioneers 37% and doubled up C-Sun on fouls with 14 in the half. Continue reading C-Sun Blasts Denver, 89-60
Montana Cruises Past Depleted Denver, 83-73
DU men’s basketball (3-3) had a tough first half against Montana on Sunday evening in Missoula, Montana. Denver shot a tepid 33.3% (9/27) from the field and committed nine turnovers against Montana. Fielding a thin front line and an inexperienced backcourt, DU trailed 38-24 at the break. Freshman Sebastian Akins and grad student Isaiah Addo-Ankrah had 7 and 6 points respectively at the break to pace Denver. Continue reading Montana Cruises Past Depleted Denver, 83-73
Denver Withstands Furious Montana State Comeback, 79-78
Denver owned a 21-point lead in the second half against the Montana State Bobcats Sunday at Hamilton Gym. The Bobcats started to press DU and went on a 17-2 run to be in a position to tie or win the game. Denver held on for the nail-biting win. Denver was saved at the foul line, going 29-31 (93.5%) for the game. Continue reading Denver Withstands Furious Montana State Comeback, 79-78