Jan. 29, 2004

Box Score

DENVER - The University of Denver men's basketball team dominated South Alabama, 78-59, in Sun Belt Conference action on Thursday, Jan. 29, in Magness Arena. Seniors Zeljko Zupic (Sinj, Croatia) and Brett Starkey (Lakewood, Colo.) took control of the offense, scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively. Sophomore center Yemi Nicholson (Denver, Colo.) had a personal SBC career-high 11 points for the Pioneers. Denver improves to 11-7, 3-3, while USA falls to 9-9, 3-3.

"We really enjoyed this win but we are only halfway done," said head coach Terry Carroll. "Our game Saturday night is just as important, if not more. A win Saturday would put us in great position for the stretch run."

The Pioneers opened the game with an impressive 13-3 run, led by Zupic who added seven points in the stint. USA's Henry Williams added three points for the Jaguars but the Pioneers continued their effective offensive play, sparking an 11-2 run to put the score at 24-9. The Jaguars' Michael Phillips tried to put USA back in the game by adding 12 points of his own, but Denver's Zupic responded with 10 points. USA went on an 11-2 run to put the score at 37-24 with 1:33 remaining, but a bucket from sophomore Brett Seger (Omaha, Neb.) gave the Pioneers a 39-24 lead at the half.

Denver capitalized on USA's nine turnovers in the first half to take the lead. The Pioneer defense was solid, forcing the Jaguars to shoot just 38.5 percent (10-26) from the field, compared to the Pioneers' 58.1 percent (18-31). The Pioneers also held a 17-14 rebounding advantage and stole the ball five times. Seven of the nine Pioneers that saw action in the first half got into the scoring column.

Denver started the second half with another impressive 11-3 run. A 3-pointer by Zupic at 14:48 gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game, 23 points, and put the score at 52-29. Nicholson sank his second dunk of the night at 11:25 to continue Denver's lead at 56-37. USA's Justin White sunk two baskets for the Jaguars but Starkey responded with a basket and two free throws to keep Denver's lead at 68-47 with 5:23 remaining in the game.

Baskets from junior Rodney Billups (Denver, Colo.) and freshman James Lane (Colorado Springs, Colo.) extended Denver's lead to 76-59, with 44.6 seconds remaining in the game. A pair of free throws by senior guard Ryan Goral (Westminster, Colo.) sealed the 78-59 win for the Pioneers.

Five Pioneers scored in double-figures, led by Zupic's 16 points. Starkey added 14, Nicholson had 11, and Billups and freshman forward Antonio Porch (Denver, Colo.) each added 10. Michael Phillips led the Jaguars with 13 points. Denver shot 51.8 percent (29-56) for the game, compared to USA's 41.7 percent (25-60). The Pioneers forced 15 turnovers and stole the ball nine times.

The Pioneers will continue their homestand when they play host to conference-foe New Orleans on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. MT. The game can be seen live on Fox Sports Net. It can also be heard on AM 1600 KCKK.