For DU men’s basketball, it was Senior Night on Feb. 19 against Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). Senior guards Brett Olson and Cam Griffin played their last home game in Magness Arena, and although the two combined for 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, it was not enough to defeat the visiting team.
DU dropped the contest 47-63 and shot 32-percent from the field (16-50). With only a five point gap to overcome at halftime, Denver was in position to stage a comeback but was simply unable to cut much into the IPFW lead. It was the third consecutive loss for the Pioneers.
DU would rebound nicely on Feb.21, beating Western Illinois University on the road by a score of 59-46. Junior Nate Engesser led the way with a solid output of 11 points and seven rebounds for the night. Another junior, Marcus Byrd, contributed 13 key points to help down the home team. The rebounding totals were close at 29-28 in favor of DU, but Western Illinois’ lack of execution behind the arc (4-17) proved too much for them to overcome. The Pioneers men’s team improved to 11-16 record and will play South Dakota University in South Dakota on Feb 25.
Denver’s women’s basketball team was also busy this past week, playing games on Feb. 18 and 21, and the team dropped both games.
The first matchup pitted the Pioneers against South Dakota on the road. Sporting an impressive 21-5 record, South Dakota was able to hang on for the 79-68 victory. There was scoring aplenty for the Pioneers, as Paige Bradley registered 21 points, Alecia Espinoza 17 and Morgan Van Riper-Rose 10. The ladies’ team only trailed by two at halftime, but could not unseat the Summit League leader.
The next game against Western Illinois was not successful for the Pioneers, as the game was dropped 75-56. DU ran into a red-hot Ashley Luke from Western Illinois, who would score 23 points, grab 16 rebounds and dish out 6 assists. Her inside presence, combined with a team three-point shooting percentage of 38% proved to be too much for the visiting Pioneers.
The next game for the lady Pioneers is scheduled for Feb. 26 against North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota.
