DENVER - Led by Melissa Garcia (Thornton, Colo./Thornton) with 23 points, the University of Denver women's basketball team defeated New Orleans, 66-57, and earned the top spot in the Sun Belt Conference West Division, improving to 13-5, 5-2. UNO falls to 10-5, 3-2.
The pivotal Sun Belt Conference game opened with both teams playing intense defense and trading scores, Denver leading 12-8 at the 12:19 mark. UNO earned a one-point advantage at the 7:43 mark (17-16) when Andrea Haegele converted a one-and-one opportunity seconds after Yolanda White sunk a three-pointer. Denver tied the game at 19 and earned a one-point lead, but UNO scored the next four points and managed a 27-23 advantage before Misa Pavlickova (Prague, Czech Republic/Boulder) tied the game at 27 on a short jumper in traffic. UNO earned the final advantage of the half at 29-27. The Privateers scored 11 points from the free throw line as Denver was whistled for 13 personal fouls.
UNO began the second half by breaking open a nine-point lead (38-29) at 6:12 after White hit a three pointer, and in less than a minute, teammate Jessica Dunham, who experienced foul trouble in the first half, hit another. Denver brought the score back within three points after Garcia scored a three-pointer and converted two free throws (38-41). UNO fought back to gain a five point margin (45-40) at 11:14. The Pioneers chipped away and Ashley Atkinson (Springfield, Mo./Kickapoo) gave Denver its first lead 46-45 on a short jumper and then hit one free throw to extend the edge to 47-45. Martha Dibella (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) stole a pass and drove the length of the court to give the Pioneers a 49-45 advantage with 8:18 remaining in the game. Nikki Weddle's (Denver, Colo./Montbello) runner in the lane at 6:34 extended the lead to 53-45. New Orleans came back to within one point at 54-53, but Denver exerted its defensive pressure and finished the game on a 12-4 run.
Pavlickova scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. She also had four blocks. Weddle finished with 10 points. Dunham and Andrea Haegele each scored 15 points to lead the Privateers.
The Pioneers continue their two-game conference road trip at Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.
