Dec. 29, 2005

Box Score

SACRAMENTO - Senior center Yemi Nicholson's (Aurora, Colo.) fifth double-double (23 points, 14 rebounds) was not enough as the Denver Pioneers dropped a 79-65 decision to Sacramento State at the Hornets Nest on Thursday night. The Pioneers' fifth consecutive road loss puts them at 5-6. The Hornets improve to 9-5.

Senior guard Andrew Carpenter (Toronto, Ontario) scored a season-best 16 points for DU. Jason Harris led Sacramento State with 22 points and 10 rebounds. DaShawn Freeman had 21 points and Alex Bausley added 12.

"Their aggressiveness was evident the entire night," said head coach Terry Carroll. "We kept putting ourselves in position to get back into the game but when it came down to it we couldn't make a layup or come up with a lose ball."

The Pioneers scored eight points but turned the ball over three times leading to 10 Sacramento State points in the game's opening minutes. The Hornets lead grew as big as seven but another dunk by Nicholson at the 11:53 mark closed the gap to 18-14.

An 11-2 run over the next four minutes by Sac State made the score 29-16 with 7:09 remaining in the first half. A David Kummer (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) jumper cut the margin to 31-20 at the 3:54 mark and an Antonio Porch (Denver, Colo.) layup made the score 37-25 at half.

Freeman had 15 first-half points including three of the Hornets' seven 3-pointers. Nicholson recorded 10 points for DU but the Pioneers also had 10 first-half turnovers.

The two teams traded several buckets in the early minutes of the second half as Sacramento State maintained a 12-point lead, 47-35. DU was outscored 11-7 over the next four minutes as the Hornets' lead grew to 58-42 with 11:11 left in the game.

DU went on a 9-0 run to claw back into the game, 62-51, at the 7:47 mark. The Pioneers remained close at 71-57 with 3:51 remaining but a 3-pointer by Loren Leath moments later slammed the door on Denver.

Sacramento State outshot DU 46.3 percent (31-67) to 42.9 percent (24-56). The Hornets registered 10 steals as DU turned the ball over 17 times.

The Pioneers finally return home and will PACK THE HOUSE for the fourth-consecutive season when they host Wyoming on Mon., Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. That game can be heard live on KCKK AM 1600.