Dec. 28, 2003

Box Score

Ragan Neblett (Arvada, Colo.) scored a career-high 26 points, including a career-high seven three pointers, to lead the University of Denver women's basketball team to an 87-75 victory over Cal State Northridge Sunday in the Pioneers' first game back from holiday break. Denver improves to 6-3 on the season, and has now won three consecutive games, while Cal State Northridge falls to 1-6 o the season.

Denver led by as many as 21 points in the second half, and withstood an intense come back attempt from the home team to earn the 12-point win. Denver was good on a school record 15 three pointers as freshman Kaitlyn King (Albuquerque, N.M.) added four treys and Jamie Edwards (Woddinville, Wash.) and Tasha Jones (San Antonio, Texas) added two apiece. The previous record was 12 three pointers (vs. North Texas Jan. 11, 2003). Neblett led four players in double figure scoring for first time of the season. Freshman King scored 14 points, Jones finished with 12, and Edwards added 10.

Using a different lineup to start the second half that included freshmen King and Edwards, Denver began the second stanza with an 11-2 run to open an 18-point lead. Neblett hit two 3-point buckets in the run, nailing her fifth trey to cap the run (47-29). Freshman Louise Gronemann (Copenhagen, Denmark) scored her first points of the game with a baseline jumper to push the Pioneer lead to 21 points at 56-33 with 13 minutes in the game.

Northridge worked its way back to within 13 points at 58-45, and came within 10 points at 82-72 with a minute to play, but the Pioneers held on to win. Ofa Tulikihihifo scored 15 points, including 11 in the second half to help the Cal State Northridge's come back attempt.

"This was a perfect game for us to have on the schedule because this is the way the Sun Belt Conference games are played," Head Coach Pam Tanner said. "Northridge made some runs late in the game and hit some crazy shots. I am very proud of this team for coming in here and handling all of that."

In the first half, the Pioneers got off to a fast start, leading 15-4 midway through the half after a 10-3 run fueled by seven points from Ragan Neblett. Denver continued to build its lead to as many as 13 points before the Matadors scored seven straight points to come within four points at 26-22 with four minutes to play in the period. Neblett nailed her third 3-point bucket of the stanza to give Denver a 36-27 advantage at the half. Denver shot 51.9 percent from the field, including seven 3-pointers, and held Northridge to 39 percent from the field.

The Pioneers will stay in California for another single game at Fresno State on Tues., Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. MT.