Jan. 4, 2003

Box Score

Provo, Utah - The University of Denver women's basketball team made a late-game run to come within 11 points, but ended the non-conference portion of the schedule with a loss to BYU at the Marriott Center on Saturday afternoon 70-57. Denver falls to 6-8 on the season, while BYU, who is receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, improves to 8-4.

Denver used a 16-2 run late in the second half to come within 11 points of an upset over the Cougars on their home court, but it was not enough to overcome their largest halftime deficit of the season (27 points), after shooting just 16.7 percent from the field in the first half. Ragan Neblett (Arvada, Colo./Pomona) scored 10 points and Kellie Carewell (Villa Park, Ill./Timothy Christian) added nine in the second stanza to lead Denver's charge.

"I thought we played very well in the second half," head coach Pam Tanner said. "We didn't have anything to lose at that point. It is frustrating to see our players get behind by 11 points to start a game."

Denver played much improved basketball in the second period, shooting 48.3 percent from the field. For the second consecutive game, the Pioneers shot well from the free throw line, making 15-17 attempts (88.2 percent). Ashley Atkinson (Springfield, Mo./Kickapoo) led the team with 12 points, including two three pointers, and Neblett scored 10, all in the second half, for the only other Pioneer in double figure scoring.

"Ragan played extremely hard all game and was quite successful in the second half run," Tanner said. "She did some very nice things to get the team going."

In the first half, Jennifer Leitner scored seven points to get BYU out to an early 11-0 lead, as Denver missed its first eight shots. Nakia Carlisle (St. Paul, Minn./Central) put the Pioneers on the board with two free throws five minutes into the contest, but Denver struggled from the field, shooting just 16.7 percent for the half. The Cougars made 50 percent of their shots and took a 43-16 lead to the locker room at the half.

Preseason All-American Erin Thorn led the Cougars with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Jennifer Leitner scored 15 points.

The Pioneers will begin the Sun Belt Conference season by hosting Florida International at Magness Arena on Jan. 9 at 7:00 p.m.