Feb. 16, 2002

Box Score

The University of Denver women's basketball team got off to a fast start and held on to defeat visiting Sun Belt Conference foe Middle Tennessee State 75-66 Saturday at Magness Arena. Denver, the winners of three straight and five of the last six contests, improved to 13-12, 9-4 while Middle dropped to 15-11, 7-6.

"Ashley (Atkinson), Nikki (Weddle), and Melissa (Garcia) came up big down the stretch," Denver head coach Pam Tanner said. "I was glad to see the "Big Three" put it together at this time of year because we are going to need them to lead the team in the (Sun Belt Conference) tournament. We've got to feel good abut ourselves right now and it's a good time for that to happen."

The "Big Three," Nikki Weddle (Denver, Colo./Montbello/CU), Melissa Garcia (Thornton, Colo./Thornton) and Ashley Atkinson (Springfield, Mo./Kickapoo), combined for 54 points, including nine three pointers, to lead the Pioneers to victory.

Weddle opened the game by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers and converting a three point play to get the Pioneers out to a 9-5 lead. Atkinson took over and hit three treys while Garcia sunk one long-range bucket and converted a conventional three-point play. In all, the Pioneers got off to a 29-11 run in the first 10 minutes of action, and held that margin to the end of the first period when they went to the locker room leading 46-29. Denver shot 57 percent from the floor in the first half, including 53 percent from the three-point line.

Leading by 14 points at the half, Denver fought off an intense come back attempt from Middle, closing the gap to four points, before the Pioneers scored 10 straight to dash the visitors' hopes. Middle mounted a 19-6 run capped by a lay up from Jennifer Justice with 5:47 to play in the game. Weddle responded by nailing a three pointer from the top of the arc. Weddle finished the 10-0 run the same way, by hitting a three pointer to make the score 69-55 with three minutes to play. The Blue Raiders rallied again to close to within five points, on a three pointer from Patrice Holmes (71-66), but Denver held on and made its free throws down the stretch to preserve a nine-point victory.

The victory helped strengthen Denver's hold on the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Tournament which would give the Pioneers a first-round bye. Denver will round out the regular season with two home games vs. SBC West Division foes South Alabama (Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.) and New Orleans (Feb. 24 at 1 p.m.).