Dec 20, 2002

Box Score

CAGUAS, Puerto Rico - Senior captain B.J. Pratt (San Antonio, Texas) scored 16 of his 24 points after halftime as the University of Denver men's basketball team came from behind for a 79-72 win over James Madison University in the first round of the San Juan Shootout on Friday. With the win Denver improves to 5-4, as JMU falls to 3-4.

Senior center Brett Starkey (Lakewood, Colo.) led the Pioneers with 11 rebounds and scored his six of his 11 points after halftime, including four straight that put Denver ahead to stay.

Starkey made two free throws with 17 minuets left that gave the Pioneers a 34-33 lead. After James Madison missed a shot, Starkey scored inside on a pass from sophomore guard Rodney Billups (Denver, Colo.), the younger brother of Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups.

David Fanning had 17 points to lead the Dukes, while Dwayne Broyles was the only other player in double figures with 14.

JMU extended its 28-25 halftime lead when Ian Caskill made two free throws in the opening minute of the second half. Sophomore guard Erik Benzel (Spokane, Wash.) then scored seven straight points, putting Denver ahead 32-30 with a 3-pointer, a driving layup and long jumper.

Broyles ended Benzel's streak with a 3-pointer.

James Madison cut the gap to a single point twice after Starkey's spurt, but Billups responded with a 3-pointer the first time and a long jumper the next.

The Dukes scored the game's first six points, but led at halftime only after Fanning's 3-pointer broke a tie at 25 with 1:14 left. That also broke a nearly three-minute scoring drought for both teams after the lead had changed seven times in four minutes.

Denver will face the winner of Auburn / UPR -Mayaguez tomorrow in the second round the San Juan Shootout. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. MST and can be heard live of AM 1600.