Feb. 24, 2003

Box Score

The University of Denver women's basketball team came back from a 14-point halftime deficit, but could not sustain a second-half run and fell to Sun Belt Conference West Division foe South Alabama (75-54) at the Mitchell Center. Denver falls to 12-15, 5-7 on the season, while USA improves to 17-9, 9-5. The Pioneers remain in fourth place in the conference divisional standings with two games to play in the regular season.

Ragan Neblett's (Arvada, Colo./Pomona) three pointer capped a 21-8 Denver run that nearly erased South Alabama's 14-point half time lead, closing the margin to just one point (40-39) midway through the second stanza. But Denver struggled to score and the Jaguars turned the tables and went on a 21-5 run of their own to rebuild a 19-point lead (63-44) with just four minutes to play. The Pioneers suffered a four-minute scoring drought while Taneisha Russell led the USA surge with 11 points and finished the night with 15 points.

"We couldn't sustain the momentum when we got on a run," head coach Pam Tanner said. "South Alabama was able to respond and find a way to handle our surge and that's the difference in the game. It's a frustrating loss, but we gave it our best effort and that's positive. Great team work and nice cutting and passing got us back in the game and then we tried to do too much individually."

South Alabama started the game with three 3-pointers, and quickly built an 11-4 lead before the Pioneers responded with five straight points, including a three pointer from Neblett to get the score back to 11-9. The Jaguars used runs of 9-2 and 10-2 to take a commanding 14 point-lead (32-18) to the locker room at the half. Denver shot just 18.4 percent from the field for the half, and hit only one three pointer.

Denver shot just 29.6 percent from the field for the game and 61.5 percent from the line. Neblett and Nicky Eason (Carpentersville, Ill./Barrington) led the Pioneers with 15 points apiece, and Stephanie Hart (Shoreline, Wash./Shorewood) added 10. Qiana Mitchell led all scorers with 18 points, and Sara Carter scored 13.

Denver will return home to complete the regular season schedule, hosting New Mexico State and Louisiana-Lafayette. The Pioneers first host current division leader New Mexico State Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at Magness Arena.