Feb. 8, 2003

Box Score

MURFREESBORO, TENN. - Ashley Atkinson's (Springfield, Mo./Kickapoo) last second three-point field goal sailed long, as the University of Denver women's basketball team relinquished a 67-65 decision to Middle Tennessee State in a Sun Belt Conference action Saturday. Denver falls to 12-12, 6-4, while Middle Tennessee improved to 13-10, 6-4.

Atkinson nailed back-to-back three pointers to give the Pioneers a 63-59 lead with 1:50 to play, but the Pioneers committed a critical turnover to give the Lady Raiders an opportunity to come back and win the game. Patrice Holmes took the Lady Raiders on her shoulders and scored the final six points and assisted on another bucket to allow Middle to escape with a 67-65 win.

"Ashley did everything she could to win the game for us, but we had a critical turnover at the end and we didn't play as good of defense when we needed to at times," head coach Pam Tanner said.

Denver built a four-point lead to start the second half before Jennifer Justice single-handedly got the Lady Raiders back into the game, scoring the team's first eight points of the second half to tie the game at 34 points. Middle Tennessee was able to earn a five-point lead on two occasions, but the Pioneers responded each time with critical three-point shooting from Atkinson. The three-point specialist buried a three after MTSU earned a 57-52 lead. She nailed her second to give the Pioneers a 60-59 lead and her third to make the score 63-59 with 1:50 to play.

In the first half, Atkinson and Nicky Eason (Carpentersville, Ill./Barrington) scored five points each to fuel a 10-3 run to give the Pioneers their first lead late in the first half at 27-26 with two minutes left. Neither team could change the scoreboard for the remainder of the half as Denver went to the locker room with the one-point margin. Denver opened the game in its signature zone defense, but fell behind 17-9 and quickly opted for a man-to-man scheme. Denver scored eight unanswered points to tie the game at 17 and was able to earn a slim advantage in the closely contested first half.

Denver sunk a season-high 12 three pointers, and shot 52.2 percent from long range. The Pioneers shot 40.3 percent from the field. Atkinson tied with Ragan Neblett for a team-high 16 points, and Tasha Jones added 12. Eason had six points and 12 rebounds. Holmes led all scorers with 20 points, and Justice added 16 points.

The Pioneers return home to host North Texas in the first game of a doubleheader at Magness Arena February 13 at 6 p.m. The game has been selected as Pack the House, an event sponsored in an attempt to break the Magness Arena attendance record for basketball.