Jan. 24, 2004

Box Score

LITTLE ROCK - Senior center Brett Starkey (Lakewood, Colo.) had 15 points, but it was not enough as the Denver Pioneers fell to the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans, 68-53, tonight (Jan. 24) in Sun Belt Conference play. Denver falls to 10-7, 2-3, and UALR improves to 10-8, 4-2.

"They came out and took the fight to us," Denver head coach Terry Carroll said. "When we come out with intensity we are one of the best teams in the Sun Belt Conference. But there is a fine line and tonight we were on the wrong side of it."

Denver was down 6-0 early but two free throws by junior point guard Rodney Billups (Denver, Colo.) at the 16:25 mark of the first half pulled Denver to within two, 6-4. The two teams traded baskets with Arkansas-Little Rock hitting two free throws (Columbus Williams) giving the Trojans a 16-13 lead with 10:01 remaining in the half.

A jumper by senior forward Carvell McAlister (Fresno, Calif.) with 4:26 left in the first stanza kept Denver close (27-24). The Pioneers would only score two more points as a Brandon Freeman jump shot capped an UALR 8-2 run that gave the Trojans their biggest first-half lead of nine, 35-26.

The second half began much like the first, with Arkansas-Little Rock run. Two consecutive buckets by freshman forward Antonio Porch (Denver, Colo.) stopped Denver's bleeding and pulled the Pioneers to within 12 (43-31) at the 15:20 mark. The Pioneers' run continued and a layup by Starkey with 13:06 remaining in the game pulled Denver even closer, 43-36.

Jamal Holden hit a layup with 8:03 left in the game to keep the Trojans in front by seven, 50-43. Denver got as close as five, but an old-fashioned 3-point play by Holden put UALR up 57-49 at the 4:25 mark. Arkansas-Little Rock kept the Pioneers at bay with made free throws down the stretch.

Holden and Freeman led all scores with 18. UALR won the rebounding battle, 35-32. Josh Jacobs and Richard Hardman led the way with seven. Senior forward Zeljko Zupic (Sinj, Croatia) had 10 to lead Denver.

It was the Pioneers' first loss (8-1) when holding their opponent to under 70 points.

The Pioneers return home for the two games next week. Denver will host South Alabama on Thurs., Jan. 29, and New Orleans on Sat., Jan. 31. Both contests begin at 7 p.m.