Dec. 21, 2002

Box Score

DENVER - Sophomore guard Katie Davenport (Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola), named the Pioneer Classic MVP, scored 17 points to lead the University of Denver women's basketball team to a 66-53 victory over Northwestern to win the championship. Denver, who exacted its revenge for a loss in Chicago last year, improved to 5-6 on the season, while Northwestern dropped to 5-4.

After leading by seven points at the end of the first half, Denver fought off several second-half runs by Northwestern to earn the 13-point victory. With the Denver lead at just four points, Davenport intercepted a Wildcat pass into the post and went coast-to-coast to give the Pioneers a 55-49 advantage with four minutes the play. Ashley Atkinson (Springfield, Mo./Kickapoo) sunk her third 3-pointer of the game to get the score to 60-51, and put the game out of reach with just 2:14 on the clock.

"I was really pleased with the way we performed, even in the first half of the game," head coach Pam Tanner said. "When it got to be crunch time, we were able to step it up. I am proud of the way the team pulled together and when we needed a big shot, someone delivered."

Denver inched its lead to nine points in the first five minutes of the second half as Sarah Cyran (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield) converted a layup. Northwestern's Sarah Kwasinski scored 10 points to help Northwestern cut the Denver lead to four points with 12 minutes to play in game (42-38). Katie Davenport responded immediately with a three pointer to push the lead back to seven points. Northwestern mounted a 7-2 run to close the Pioneer lead to three points just past the midway point in the second period (50-47). Davenport nailed her third 3-pointer of the game to fuel a 7-2 Pioneer run that got the score back to eight points at 57-49 with 3:11 to play in the game.

Denver started the game quickly with a 9-2 lead as Katie Davenport buried a three pointer from well outside on the left side of the three-point arc with just five minutes off the clock. Northwestern worked its way back to within three points with a five-point spurt that included a three-pointer from Emily Butler (11-7). Denver broke open a 12-point lead midway through the first half with a 10-0 run sparked by two three pointers by Atkinson. The Pioneers followed that with a trio of treys from Tasha Jones, Nakia Carlisle and Atkinson to counter a 10-point spurt by the Wildcats. The Pioneers led by 12 points with two minutes to play in the half, but took just a seven-point lead to the locker room due to a 5-0 Wildcat run to end the half.

Kwasinski led the Wildcats with 20 points, and Natalie Will added 14. The Pioneer Classic All-Tournament team included: Atkinson and Davenport from Denver, Kwaninski of Northwestern, Rebecca Brown of Princeton, and Tasha Gales from Morehead State.

Denver, winners of its last three games, will have a six-day hiatus for the holidays before heading the El Paso, Texas for a rematch with UTEP on Dec. 28.