UP NEXT
The Denver women's basketball team (11-6, 5-2 SBC) makes its biggest road trip in the 25-year history of the program as the Pioneers travel to Ruston, La. to take on No. 2 Louisiana Tech (14-2, 5-0 SBC) in a Sun Belt Conference game. The radio broadcast of the game will be live on AM 1600. Mag Strittmatter will call the action for the Pioneers.

Internet updates will be available through the Totalcast updates on this website.

PROBABLE PIONEER STARTERSF - #20 Candy Benson, 6-2, Sr., Wilton, Conn.    (7.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 46.0 FG%, 29 steals)F - #43 Martha Dibella, 6-0, So., Littleton, Colo.    (3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 31.7 FG%)C - #45 Misa Pavlickova, 6-3, Jr., Prague, Czech Republic    (12.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 39.3 FG%, 44 blocks - 5th in nation)G - #34 Jamie Rhoads, 5-10, Jr., Midland, Texas    (2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 37.1 FG%, 28 assists)or  #35 Ashley Atkinson, 5-10, Fr., Springfield, Mo.    (11.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 43.9 FG%, 42.7 3FG%, 44 3FG made)G - #22 Melissa Garcia,  5-6, So., Thornton, Colo.    (11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 31.0 FG%, 80.4 FT%, 60 assists, 47 steals)
OFF THE BENCH FOR DENVER#42 Bethie Younger, F, 6-1, Jr., Tomball, Texas    (6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 38.7 FG%)#11 Lika Black, G, 5-7, Fr., San Diego, Calif.    (4.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 28.6 FG%, 31 assists)#55 Misty Staton, C, 6-2, Fr., Duke, Okla.    (2.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 50.0 FG%)#44 Kellie Carwell, C, 6-3, Fr., Villa Park, Ill.    (2.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 43.8 FG%)   
LOUISIANA TECH PROBABLE STARTERSF - #12 Ayana Walker, 6-2, So., Houston, Texas    (10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 48.2 FG%, 26 blocks)F - #3 Shaka Massey, 6-3, Sr., Arlington, Texas    (7.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 44.0 FG%)G - #22 Christie Sides, 5-8, Sr., Baker, La.    (4.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 34.7 FG%)G - #25 Betty Lennox, 5-8, Sr., Independence, Mo.    (18.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 47.3 FG%, 47.4 3FG%)G - #35 Tamicha Jackson, 5-6, Sr., Dallas, Texas    (14.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 46.4 FG%, 58 assists, 57 steals)

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE PIONEERS
Freshman Kellie Carwell made the clutch move of the night with 1.3 seconds left in Denver's 68-67 overtime win over South Alabama. Carwell's tipped ball off of a miss by Misa Pavlickova, with USA up 67-66, did not go, but South Alabama's Lyletha Gamble fouled her. Carwell, suffering from a ruptured left eardrum, made the front end of the bonus to tie the game at 67. USA called timeout to ice the freshman, but Carwell made the second free throw to give Denver the win. Carwell's eardrum ruptured on Denver's Jan. 23 flight from Atlanta to Mobile.

In the first half, Denver was down 20-8 before sophomore Melissa Garcia hit three three-pointers in a row to pull the Pioneers to within three at 10
04. After USA extended the lead again, freshman Ashley Atkinson came off of the bench to hit three of her own three-pointers and made two free throws to put the Pioneers up 32-25.

After the halftime break, USA made seven straight points to tie the game at 36 and the two teams battled back and forth the rest of the way. USA forward Jessica Webb made two free throws with 13 seconds left in regulation to send the game to the extra period.

Atkinson led the Pioneers with 16 points, followed by junior Bethie Younger with 14 and Garcia with 11.

FIRST OT IN FIVE YEARS
Monday night's 68-67 overtime win at South Alabama was the first overtime game the Pioneers have played since Jan. 14, 1995, five years and 10 days ago. Denver lost the 1995 game 67-65 at Air Force. It is the first overtime game for Denver since moving up to NCAA Division I status.

ABOUT THE LOUISIANA TECH LADY TECHSTERS
Louisiana Tech is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN polls released on Monday, Jan. 24. When the Lady Techsters play Denver, they will be on their third game in four days. Tech was supposed to play at Arkansas-Little Rock on Jan. 27, but the game was postponed due to a bad snowstorm. The game was played early Friday morning, Jan. 28 with Tech getting a commanding 95-52 win from the newest program in the Sun Belt Conference. Tech has won seven consecutive Sun Belt Conference regular season titles, while winning five SBC post-season tournament titles in the last six years. Tech's reign over the SBC will end after the 2000-01 season when the school leaves the league to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Tech head coach Leon Barmore needed 11 wins at the beginning of the season to reach 500 coaching victories. He reached that mark on Jan. 10 with a 90-33 win over South Alabama in Ruston. Tech's only losses so far this season (as of Jan. 28) are to Mississippi State and Connecticut.

THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between Denver and Louisiana Tech.

AFTER THE LOUISIANA TECH GAME
The Pioneers start their second round of SBC action with hopes of exacting some revenge. Florida International comes into Magness Arena on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. (MST). FIU pulled out a 66-62 win over the Pioneers on Jan. 22 in Miami. ATKINSON AMONG THE TOP FRESHMEN IN SUN BELT
Ashley Atkinson is one of several freshmen in the Sun Belt Conference that have cracked the statistical rankings in their first season of collegiate basketball. Atkinson is currently the second-best three-pointer shooter in the SBC with a shooting percentage of 42.7% and 2.59 threes made per game. She is also third-highest scorer in the league among the freshmen at No. 19 with 11.6 points per game.

PAVLICKOVA BUILDING BLOCKS
Misa Pavlickova continues to be one of the top shot blockers in the NCAA Division I ranks for the second season in a row. Pavlickova is currently ranked No. 5 with a 2.59 blocks per game average. She is the second Denver athlete this year to be nationally ranked in blocks. Denver volleyball player Jen Mainprice ended the 1999 season as the 11th best blocker in Division I.

TANNER AMONG MOST POWERFUL IN COLORADO
Pioneer head coach Pam Tanner received a major honor on Tuesday, Jan. 11 when she was recognized by The Denver Post as one of the Most Powerful Women in Colorado Sports in 1999. Tanner made her first appearance in the paper's third annual poll at No. 18.

Tanner had a spectacular 1999 in her first season as a Division I head coach and her fifth at the University of Denver, cracking the rankings for the first time at No. 18. Her 1998-99 team turned its season around in 1999 winning nine of the final 12 games of the season in its first season as a Division I program. In the off-season, Pam prepared her team for things to come as the Pioneers joined the seventh-toughest women's basketball collegiate conference, the Sun Belt. The 1999-2000 season got off to a great start with Denver beating Colorado to open Magness Arena on Nov. 19. The Pioneers continued to roll through the new season taking a winning record of 6-4 into 2000 for the first time since 1995-96, Tanner's first year with the program and the Pioneers' last in the Division II ranks.

Four other women with the University of Denver were also in the poll - supporter Sharon Magness (as in Magness Arena) was No. 1, chairman of the Denver Board of Trustees Joy Burns (as in Joy Burns Arena) was No. 2, Denver Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. M. Dianne Murphy was 8th (up one spot from last year) and Denver Senior Associate Athletics Director Diane Wendt was 10th.

The 1999-2000 Pioneers
(Sun Belt rankings through Jan. 28)

#11 Lika Black, G, 5-7, Fr.-HS, San Diego, California: dished out a season-high 7 assists in her first collegiate start at Louisiana-Lafayette, playing all 40 minutes...recorded a season-high 9 points and 3 rebounds vs. Davidson... matched the rebound-high with 3 at UL-Lafayette...had a season-high 3 steals vs. Weber State and at New Orleans... second on team in assists with 30...missed the past two games with a broken pinky on her shooting hand, suffered during shoot-around on Jan. 15.

#12 Natalie Ryan, C, 6-2, Sr.-1L, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia: pulled down a season-high 8 rebounds vs. Colorado... scored a season-high 11 points vs. Arkansas-Little Rock.

#20 Candy Benson, F, 6-2, Sr.-3L, Wilton, Connecticut: scored a season-high 14 points against Western Kentucky... tied her career-high of 13 rebounds against Weber State and again against Western Kentucky... had a career-high 5 steals vs. Oklahoma... recorded sixth double-double of career against Western Kentucky, the second of this season... had a big night at the free throw line against Arkansas State, making 7 of 8...second on team in steals with 29 and rebounding with 6.2 boards per game... Sun Belt Conference rankings... 12th in rebounding.

#22 Melissa Garcia, G, 5-6, So.-1L, Thornton, Colorado: tied her career-high with 22 points vs. UNLV (last time Nov. 27, 1998 at Loyola Marymount)... also tied career-high in rebounding with 7 vs. Oklahoma...had career-high in steals with 7 against Arkansas State... kicked in a season-high 6 assists vs. Colorado and against Loyola Marymount... missed UL-Lafayette game on Jan. 6 with a knee injury...team leader in free throw shooting at 80.4%, assists with 60 and steals with 47... second on team in scoring with 11.8 points per game and 3-pointers made with 29... Sun Belt Conference rankings... 16th in scoring, 7th in assists, 4th in free throw percentage, 5th in steals, 9th in 3FG%, 7th in 3FG made, 1st in assist/turnover ratio... named to the Santa Clara Diet Coke Shootout all-tournament team.

#23 Heather Floyd, G, 5-7, Sr.-1L, Fullerton, California: dressed out for the first time this season at Radford, played one minute in the first half, since having foot surgery prior to the beginning of the season... missed most of last season with chronic knee injury.

#34 Jamie Rhoads, G, 5-10, Jr.-2L, Midland, Texas: had a season-high 8 points at Louisiana-Lafayette... had season-high 3 assists vs. Davidson, at Radford, vs. Weber State, at UL-Lafayette, and at New Orleans... had a season-high 4 rebounds vs. Colorado, at Old Dominion, and at New Orleans... season-high 4 steals vs. Arkansas-Little Rock... Denver is 7-2 with Rhoads in starting lineup... struggling with inflammation in the arch of her foot.

#35 Ashley Atkinson, G, 5-10, Fr.-HS, Springfield, Missouri: made first collegiate start against Colorado... scored a season-high 19 points against Western Kentucky... had season-high 7 rebounds at South Alabama... dished out season-high 5 assists vs. Western Kentucky... season-high 5 three-pointers at Radford, at UL-Lafayette and against Western Kentucky... leads the team in three-pointers with 44 and 42.7%... third on team in scoring with 11.6 points per game... Sun Belt Conference rankings... 17th in scoring, 10th in field goal percentage, 2nd in 3FG%, 2nd in 3FG made.

#42 Bethie Younger, F, 6-1, Jr.-TR, Tomball, Texas: came off the bench vs. Colorado to score season-high 15 points... scored 13 vs. Davidson in first start for Denver... pulled down season-high 6 rebounds vs. Davidson, against Arkansas State and vs. Western Kentucky... passed out season-high 4 assists at Old Dominion...shot 6 of 9 from the field at South Alabama.

#43 Martha Dibella, F, 6-0, So.-1L, Littleton, Colorado: pulled down 6 rebounds and 2 points in her first action of the season, playing 13 minutes vs. UNLV after missing the first three games of the season with a severe ankle sprain... has started every game since Dec. 12 at Old Dominion... scored a season-high 8 points at Wright State... tied season-high for rebounds with 6 against Weber State and against Arkansas State...Pioneers are 8-4 since Dibella moved back into the starting lineup.

#44 Kellie Carwell, C, 6-3, Fr.-HS, Villa Park, Illinois: scored first points as a Pioneer vs. Davidson, finished with 2...scored as season-high 6 points at Florida International... pulled down a season-high 6 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Little Rock...matched season-high for scoring at South Alabama, including two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to win the game in overtime.

#45 Misa Pavlickova, C, 6-3, Jr.-2L, Prague, Czech Republic: pulled off first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds against Colorado... recorded season-high 21 points vs. UNLV... pulled down season-high 14 rebounds at Old Dominion, tying her career-high (Dec. 29, 1997 vs. Northern Colorado)... after further review had a season-high 6 blocked shots at Old Dominion... has 13 career double-doubles, 4 this season... cracked the 400-rebound career mark at Wright State, now has 484... should break the 500-mark in February... broke the 700-point career mark against Loyola Marymount, now has 786... team leader in scoring with 12.1 points per game, rebounding with 8.2 per game and blocked shots with 44... Sun Belt Conference rankings... 14th in scoring, 3rd in rebounding, 1st in blocked shots, 2nd in defensive rebounds... NCAA ranking... 5th in blocked shots... preseason all-Sun Belt Conference selection... named to the Santa Clara Diet Coke Shootout all-tournament team.

#55 Misty Staton, C/F, 6-2, Fr.-HS, Duke, Oklahoma: scored first points as a Pioneer vs. Davidson, finished with 4...scored a season-high 10 points at Florida International... pulled down a season-high 5 rebounds vs. Arkansas-Little Rock...came up with 2 steals vs. Arkansas State.

#5 Nikki Weddle, G, 5-4, Jr.-RS, Denver, Colorado: will sit out this season after transferring from Colorado in August... was a high school All-American for Montbello High School in Denver.

Head Coach Pam Tanner: is 67-58 (5-2 Sun Belt) in her fifth season at the helm of the Pioneer program, moving Denver from Division II to Division I. Tanner spent five seasons as an assistant at the Division I level prior to taking over at Denver - two seasons at San Diego State and three at Tennessee where she earned her master's degree. Tanner played for four seasons at Illinois State, graduating in 1989 with a degree in physical education. She was named the Gateway Conference Player of the Decade and was inducted into the Illinois State Hall of Fame in 1995... Assistant Coach Tracy Tripp is also in her fifth season with the Pioneers. Tripp was an assistant with Tanner at San Diego State prior to joining the Denver staff. She is a 1990 University of Colorado graduate... Assistant Coach Ellen Grosso is in her second season at Denver. Grosso spent four seasons as an assistant at Monmouth University in New Jersey before coming to Denver last season. She is a 1990 graduate of Bridgeport with a master's from East Stroudsburg... Assistant Coach DeeDee Dominguez is in her third season with Denver. Dominguez was an assistant coach for one season at Colorado State before coaching the Pioneers. She is a 1997 graduate of Colorado State.

Pioneer Record by lineups
Pavlickova, Garcia, Benson, Atkinson, Rhoads
1-0 (1.000) - vs. Colorado

Pavlickova, Garcia, Benson, Atkinson, Younger
2-2 (.500) - vs. Davidson, at Santa Clara, vs. UNLV, at RadfordPavlickova, Garcia, Benson, Atkinson, Dibella 2-2 (.500) - at Old Dominion, at Wright State, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Weber State

Pavlickova, Garcia, Benson, Dibella, Rhoads
4-2 (.667) - vs. Loyola Marymount, vs. Arkansas State, vs. Arkansas-Little Rock, vs. Western Kentucky, at Florida International, at South Alabama

Pavlickova, Benson, Dibella, Rhoads, Black
2-0 (1.000) - at UL-Lafayette, at New Orleans

The Sun Belt ConferenceCurrent Records (through 1/28/2000)            Sun Belt        OverallLouisiana Tech      5-0 1.000       14-2    .875New Orleans     4-1 .800        8-8 .500Denver          5-2 .714        11-6    .647Western Kentucky    5-2 .714        11-7    .611Arkansas State      4-3 .571        13-4    .765Florida International   2-3 .400        7-9 .438Arkansas-Little Rock    1-4 .200        4-11    .267Louisiana-Lafayette 0-5 .000        7-9 .438South Alabama       0-6 .000        5-12    .294Denver Team Statistical Rankings in the SBC (1/28/2000)Scoring Offense - 8thScoring Defense - 2ndScoring Margin - 5thFree Throw Percentage - 9thField Goal Percentage - 6thField Goal Percentage Defense - 4th3-point Field Goal Percentage - 6th3-point Field Goal Percentage Defense - 6thRebounding Offense - 8thRebounding Defense - 4thRebounding Margin - 7thBlocked Shots - 2ndAssists - 3rdSteals - 3rdTurnover Margin - 2ndAssist/Turnover Ratio - 1stOffensive Rebounds - 9thDefensive Rebounds - 7th3-point Field Goals made - 3rd
SBC Players of the WeekNov. 29 Marylou Augustin    Sr., G, New OrleansDec. 6  Julie Hagood        Sr., G, Arkansas StateDec. 13 Erika Gilbeaux      Jr., F, Louisiana-LafayetteDec. 20 Jessica Webb        Jr., G/F, South AlabamaJan. 3  Betty Lennox        Sr., G, Louisiana TechJan. 11 Jen Ludwicki        Jr., G/F, New OrleansJan. 17 Jamie Britt     Sr., F, Western KentuckyJan. 24 Betty Lennox        Sr., G, Louisiana Tech