DENVER (Feb. 13) - Sophomore Martha Dibella (Littleton, Colo.) scored a season-high 15 points and junior Misa Pavlickova added her seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 boards to help the University of Denver run by the University of South Alabama 52-42 Sunday afternoon at Magness Arena. The Sun Belt Conference victory propelled Denver into a second place tie with Western Kentucky, both teams boast 9-3 SBC records. The win marks Denver's 400th victory in the program's 25-year history.
South Alabama (5-16, 0-10 SBC) scored the first basket of the game to take an early 2-0 lead before Denver (15-7, 9-3 SBC) rallied off 11 unanswered points and built an 11-2 lead six minutes into the contest. Dibella was the spark in that scoring run adding seven of the Pioneers first 11 points in the first half. USA battle back and tied the game 22-22 with 3:02 remaining in the first half, but Denver took control in the waning minutes of the half outscoring the Jaguars 5-2 and took a three point advantage, 27-24 into the recess.
The Pioneers started the second half just as they had ended the first going on a 7-3 scoring rampage and built a 34-27 lead four and a half minutes into the second frame. USA hung in the game staying within striking distance, and knotted the game 36-36 with 12:31 left on the clock. Denver's defense stepped up the pressure and shut down the Jaguar offense for just under eight minutes while the offense went on an 11-0 run to go ahead 47-36 with 3:58 to play. USA was only able to score six points in the final 12:31 of the game and Denver took advantage by capitalizing on the offensive end of the floor.
For the game Denver shot 33% from the floor and out-rebounded South Alabama 41-38. The Pioneers also took advantage from the charity stripe sinking 10 of 11 free throws and forced 13 USA turnovers. The Jaguars were led by Taneshia Russell who scored 11 points and Jessica Webb who hauled in 16 rebounds.
"Obviously you want to have the team clicking on all cylinders at this point of the year, but I was very pleased with our performance in the second half both offensively and defensively," said Denver coach Pam Tanner who collected her 71st victory as a Pioneer head coach.
The University of Denver is off until Feb. 24 when Louisiana-Lafayette comes to Magness Arena at 7 p.m. MST.
