Dec. 13, 2005

Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- For the first time since 2003, the University of Denver women's basketball team posted its third consecutive win with a 65-59 victory over regional rival Air Force Tuesday evening. Sophomores Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) and Brooke Meyer (Denver, Colo.) led DU with 14 points apiece, while Benham and Venice Adams (Luling, La.) shared duties on the boards with a team-high seven rebounds. Denver evens to 4-4 on the season, while Air Force falls to 6-2.

"We're finding new ways to win," said head coach Pam Tanner. "Even when we're down, we're making mental decisions to fight back and do what we need to win. The repetition of being successful only builds confidence and we're seeing that in this team right now."

In the first half, Jenna Cole (Lincoln, Neb.) got the Pioneers on the board with a three, followed by a layup by Meyer. Air Force would soon answer back, capitalizing on defensive miscues by DU that left Air Force's Dawn Higginbotham open for a pair of layups to give the Falcons a one point lead at 15-14.

The Pioneers stayed in the game and reclaimed a one point lead at 25-24 with 47 seconds left in the first half. After a free throw by Adams to push the Pioneer lead to two, Denver took control of a missed shot by the Falcons to regain possession with ten seconds left, giving Tyesha Lowery (Arlington, Texas) enough time to rattle home a jumper at the buzzer for a 28-24 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Pamela Findlay scored seven straight points en route to an eight point Falcon lead at 38-30 before the Pioneers launched a seven-point run of their own to cut Air Force's lead to four at 43-39. A three in the left corner by freshman sharpshooter Andie Mason (Gilbert, Ariz.) brought the Pioneers back within one with nine and a half left on the clock. Despite a stifling defense by Denver, Air Force continued to push the ball inside. With the score tied at 47, Air Force's Alecia Steele drove inside for a layup to give the Falcons a two-point advantage. However, Meyer sank a trey from the top of the key to put the game back in Denver's favor.

Solid execution on both sides of the ball by Denver boosted the Pioneer lead to nine with three minutes remaining. However, the Falcons launched a four-point run fueled by a full-court press that forced two DU turnovers. The Pioneers remained composed, and despite two clutch treys by Air Force to pull back within five with 11 seconds remaining, the Pioneer clinched their fourth win of the season, closing the game at 65-59 with a free throw by Adams.

The Pioneers finished shooting 39.3 percent from the field, as well as 76.5 percent from the line, however the most notable DU stat on the night was the Pioneers committing only nine turnovers, despite averaging 20.7 per game.

In addition to the win, Denver also received good news earlier today in regards to the knee injury suffered by junior center Lauren Reini (Portland, Ore.) Saturday afternoon against Boise State. Originally feared to be a season-ending injury, further tests revealed Reini suffered a tibial plateau fracture, which will keep the Portland, Ore. native out for approximately six weeks, leaving Denver optimistic in regaining Reini's contribution for the conference season.

Next up, the Pioneers head to California to face San Francisco Friday at 8 p.m.