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The DU men’s basketball team rebounded last Thursday with a 66-52 win over Arkansas State, following a tough overtime loss on Jan. 21 to North Texas.
However, the team couldn’t keep the momentum going over the weekend when they hit the road to take on Arkansas-Little Rock in a pivotal Sun Belt Conference matchup.
The Pioneers fell to the Trojans for the second time this season on Saturday, losing 64-57 in a close contest. DU falls a game behind UALR (10-13, 7-2) in the West Division standings of the SBC with the loss. In addition, the loss pits the Pioneers (16-6, 6-3) in a three-way tie for second place in the West with North Texas and Lousiana-Lafayette.
Against the Trojans, the Pioneers’ offense fell flat, shooting erratically from both the field and behind the 3-point line.
“We had some open looks, but we didn’t convert on them,” said head coach Joe Scott on Saturday. “We must take advantage of our opportunities when we have them, especially on the road, and we didn’t tonight. Our offense let us down a bit and we were very inconsistent in our shooting.”
The Pioneers have two of their most important conference games ahead in the next week.
On Thursday, the team hits the road to take on ULL, where second place in the West Division will be on the line.
The Pioneers enter the contest coming off a tough loss, which is actually helpful, considering the team has yet to lose consecutive games this season, a trend that has been key to Denver’s success.
“I like the way we responded after a really tough loss at the buzzer against North Texas; we bounced back well,” said captain Brian Stafford after Thursday’s win. “It’s a good sign that we are resilient. It means we are a tough team. We’ve had a lot of ups and a lot of downs this year, and throughout that we’ve remained the same players during those times and that’s a good sign.”
ESPN comes to Magness
While the Pioneers have won only three of their last six contests, the team has its biggest opportunity of the season this weekend when it hosts mid-major power Middle Tennessee (20-3, 9-0) on Saturday.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 2 p.m. It marks the first time ESPN will be in Magness Arena to broadcast a DU men’s basketball game.
The big event comes at the perfect time for a budding program that seems to be attracting larger crowds each game.
Thursday night’s attendance eclipsed the 7,000 mark, totaling 7,075, which is the third largest basketball crowd in Magness Arena history.
In addition, the Pioneers are 10-2 this season at home and have played their best basketball of the season in their previous two home games, including a 78-65 romp over Western Kentucky on Jan. 15.
“We’ve had good crowds all year and that’s because we’ve played well and in a manner that’s exciting basketball,” said Scott on Thursday. “At both ends of the court we’ve gotten better, but what’s most important is playing well and being successful. It’s great seeing those crowds for our players. They’ve earned it, and they deserve to have people watch them.”
As for certain players, such as sophomore Chris Udofia, the home court advantage has been able to help raise the team’s confidence.
On Thursday, Udofia finished with a game-high 21 points, draining three crucial three-point baskets as well as finishing strong on three dunks, which energized the bench and the crowd.
“The crowd was wild tonight,” said Udofia after the game. “It’s great to see how much support we have now. It definitely gives us a lot more confidence as a team, which helps us bounce back from adversity and come together as a group.”
For the sixth time this season, the Pioneers will be looking to bounce back from adversity with a win. If they can stay resilient, they will maintain their position near the top of the SBC standings.
