The Pioneers men’s basketball team started off the new year with four games in ten days to open the Summit League season.
The team went 8-5 in the preseason, including multiple road games. To kick off conference play, the team traveled to the Dakotas to play two tough games against South Dakota State University and North Dakota State University.
Turnovers cost the Pioneers the league opener against South Dakota State. The final scoreboard read 68-59, which pushed the Jackrabbits’ home winning streak to 22. Denver redshirt senior Marcus Byrd (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) provided 16 points, but the Pios could never recover from the lowest scoring first half of their season thus far.
After leaving South Dakota, the team headed north to North Dakota, where they played the Bisons at another tough road venue. The squad was bested by North Dakota State 75-49, who extended their home-winning streak to 31. North Dakota State shot the ball lights out, going 61.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point line. The Pioneers could not match those totals; shooting a measly 20 percent from downtown. Denver freshman Joe Rosga (St. Paul, Minnesota) lead the Pioneers in scoring with 16, while 11 players played and seven got double-digit minutes in this early Summit League showdown.
As the Pioneers returned to Denver for their home opener against Oral Roberts University on Jan. 6, head coach Joe Scott preached fortitude and resilience to his players.
“We’re trying to build on success early and gather some consistency from the players that get time on the court,” said Scott.
The team broke a four game losing streak defeating the Golden Eagles 78-75. A late rally made the game interesting, but the Pioneers held out for the victory on their home court. It is apparent the team is already learning from the early season lessons.
This season’s team is much younger than last year, but Scott sees the challenges and potential with the new additions.
“The challenge with such a young team is the consistency. We were lucky to start well. Our team has to learn to progress week in and week out. Getting better in January will prepare us to do well in February. We’ll do well in March by improving in February,” said Scott.
The Pioneers hosted the Mastodons of IPFW in Magness Arena on Jan. 9. The Mastodons held the lead until Denver senior Nate Engesser (Colorado Springs) hit a three-pointer to put the Pioneers up 58-56 with 3:55 to go in the second half. The following minutes saw back to back buckets and nail-biting free throws. Unfortunately the Pioneers fell 65-64, but the team showed determination in the second half comeback.
Coach Scott sees major differences in comparing last year’s team to this year.
“When talking with fans and followers of the team, they say ‘You guys look like something’. It is blatantly evident we have improved from last year, but we still need good fortune. We need outcomes to go our way,” said Scott.
Obviously the outcomes have yet to always go in favor of the Pioneers, but it is apparent that the team is taking the necessary steps to reach its full potential.
With a four game homestand beginning against Nebraska-Omaha on Jan. 21, the squad looks to bring their “A” game week in and week out.
