The DU men’s basketball team played three games in a row at home, beginning with a dominant win against St. Thomas last Saturday. They dropped their game on Thursday against UND 78-92. Saturday’s game against NDSU saw the Crimson and Gold at a deficit for the majority of the game, until Denver stormed back, going on a 31-6 run to overcome a 20-point deficit in the second half.

The homestand saw the second-to-last home game of the season for Denver in Saturday’s win against NDSU. 

Thursday’s game against NDU saw a competitive first half, DU trailing by four points 41-37 going into halftime. Denver put up a fight in the first ten minutes of the second half, taking a 56-52 lead at the 11:16 mark of the period.

NDU, however, pulled ahead, never relinquishing the lead back to DU, winning 92-78. Junior forward Touko Tainamo had a big game, finishing with 27 points and 13 rebounds on an efficient 10-14 from the field. The performance gave him his eighth double-double of the season, which he notched before the end of the first half.

Saturday’s game started slow, without much scoring in the first ten minutes of the half. That was until NDSU took a lead with under four minutes left in the half, going into the half with a ten-point lead, 38-28.

NDSU only expanded their lead at the beginning of the second half, coming out of the locker room hot, taking a 20-point, 52-32, lead at the 16:09 mark of the half. It seemed the writing was on the wall, until fifth-year guard and D-1 leading scorer Tommy Bruner took over the game.

Denver clawed back inch by inch over the next ten minutes, eventually tying the game 61-61 at the 6:13 mark. Then DU took the lead a few seconds later off a Tainamo three-pointer. Denver never gave the lead back, winning the game 77-71.

“We won with team energy, everybody had good energy. We didn’t make a sub for the last 16 minutes of the game, so those five guys out there willed it,” Bruner said.

Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun was pleased to have found the catalyst of the comeback post-game and spoke on what spurred the comeback effort, 

“We found five guys and we rode them home. They never backed down or lost their composure, they kept chipping away. And what can you say about Bruner, he gets us back into so many of those games when they look like we’ve lost,” he said.

Denver improved to a 10-3 record at Hamilton Gymnasium this season. Bruner spoke on the advantages of playing at home.

“The crowd stays into it whether we’re up twenty or down twenty, and that’s just who they are as people. I want to be like them when I grow up, ever since I’ve come to Denver I’ve only found support from everyone around me. This is the city I love, I love being here,” he said.

Bruner finished the game with 41 points and Tainamo finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard DeAndre Craig tacked on eight points and five assists. Sophomore guard Josh Lee played 23 minutes, the most minutes he’s played all in a game this season, and provided lock-down defense in their comeback effort.

DU is 2-5 in their last seven games and Tainamo believed Saturday’s win could be a turning point for the team.  

“I think it’s a turning point, I think we have the potential to do what we want to do. I think we can still make a run for the tournament,” he said.

Denver’s next game is away this Thursday against the SDSU Jackrabbits. Senior night will take place on Feb. 29th in a game against the Kansas City Roos. After that, they have a matchup on the road at St. Thomas before the first round of the Summit League Tournament begins.