Nov. 28, 2003

Box Score

Louise Gronemann (Copenhagen, Denmark) scored the game-winning basket with seven seconds to play as the University of Denver women's basketball team defeated Western Carolina (65-64) in the first game of the Texas-San Antonio Thanksgiving Tournament at the Convocation Center. The Pioneers improved to 2-0 on the season, while WCU fell to 1-2.

In a game with five ties and 11 lead changes, Denver fell behind by five points with just two minutes remaining to play (64-59). Venice Adams (Luling, La.) and Ragan Neblett (Arvada, Colo.) scored back-to-back layups to get the Pioneers within one point 64-63. Gronemann hit a 15-foot jumper from the baseline with nine seconds on the clock to give the Pioneers a 65-64 lead and eventually the win. The Pioneer defense sealed the victory for Denver. After a timeout, WCU in-bounded the ball at mid-court with 7.2 ticks on the clock. Denver forced Western's Yoneko Allen to take an off-balanced shot that careened off the front of the rim, and the Pioneers took the win.

"Louise hit a great shot for us for the win, and we had two big defensive stops to get us to that point," Head Coach Pam Tanner said. "The shot wasn't necessarily drawn up for Louise; it was a motion offense and the ball was in her hands. She did what she was supposed to do and that's go to the hole.

"It's nice to win a close ball game like this. We had two freshmen on the court at the end of the game, and our veterans stepped up to lead the way."

After trailing by four points at half, Denver made it anew game by scoring the first four points of the second half to tie the game at 35. The Pioneers mounted a 9-6 run to go ahead 44-41 within the first five minutes of the stanza, WCU made a run to tie the game back at 50 and then pushed ahead 55-52 before the Pioneers put together back-to-back buckets and earned a one-point advantage (56-55) with eight minutes remaining. WCU scored the next four points to lead 59-56 with four minutes to play. Tasha Jones (San Antonio, Texas) nailed her only 3-pointer of the game, and one of the biggest shots of the game to even the score at 59 with 2:33 to play. The Catamounts scored five straight points to go ahead 64-61. Yoneko Allen drained her fifth three pointer of the game to cap the run. Denver scored the final five points of the game to earn a come-from-behind victory.

Senior Neblett led the Pioneers with 17 points, and Jones, playing in front of her hometown crowd, added 14 points. Denver shot 49.1 percent from the field, including 53.3 percent inn the second half. Gronemann finished with four points and two rebounds. Allen led for Western Carolina players in double figure scoring with 17 points. Sigita Maleraite had 13, Tiffany Hamm added 12, and Jennifer Gardner scored 10.

In the first half, Denver scored the first four points, but fell behind 8-4 as Western Carolina hit two three pointers in an 8-0 run. WCU built its lead to 12-6 before the Pioneers earned back-to-back layups en route to a 9-5 run to tie the score at 17 with 7:30 to play in the first stanza. Denver regained the lead when Ragan Neblett nailed a three point basket from the right side of the arc (20-19), but WCU responded with six straight points. Denver battled back again to knot the score at 26 before the Catamounts finished the half with two scores to take a narrow 30-26 lead to the locker room at the half.

Denver will play the home team UT-San Antonio Saturday at 5 p.m., in the classic format to complete the two-game road trip.