Jan. 28, 2006

Box Score

DENVER - Sophomore Brooke Meyer (Denver, Colo.) led DU with 11 points, while Jenna Cole (Lincoln, Neb.) added 10, however the Pioneers were out-rebounded 41-25 by the Trojans of Troy who claimed a 72-65 win in the inaugural meeting between the two conference teams Saturday afternoon. With two losses this weekend, the Pioneers (9-10, 3-5) drop below .500 in the Sun Belt for the first time since dropping their season opener at Louisiana-Lafayette. Troy, who is in its first season as a member of the SBC, improves to 8-10 overall, 2-5 in Sun Belt action.

After suffering a disappointing 74-66 defeat against South Alabama Thursday evening, the Pioneers hoped to rebound against Troy. Unfortunately, an 8-0 run by the Trojans to start the game knocked the Pioneers back on their heels from the opening tip. Denver did not register its first field goal until the 15:20 mark in the first half with a trey by Nnenna Akotaobi (Thornton, Colo.).

At the half, the Pioneers trailed Troy by seven with a score of 34-27. The DU starting five visibly struggled, accounting for only seven of the Pioneers' 27. Senior Venice Adams (Luling, La.) and Tyesha Lowery (Arlington, Texas) were both held scoreless in the opening period.

The second half would display much of the same for the duo as Lowery never got on the board and Adams scored only eight points and grabbed two boards. However, back-to-back treys by Meyer, followed by a three-pointer by Cole tied the game at 47 apiece with 9:46 remaining. The Trojans answered back with an 11-0 run, putting Denver back in the hole. The Pioneers could not get any closer than six points, giving Troy its second conference win of the season.

The Trojans shot 48.1 percent for the game, led by guard Laura Lee Holman's 22 point effort on 8-for-10 shooting. The Pioneers shot 41.4 percent from the field and showed some bright spots on the offensive side of the ball. Junior Ali Butler (Longmont, Colo.) hit 3-of-7 from three point range for a career-high nine points, while rookie Christina Hurtado (Tucson, Ariz.) stepped up at the point, recording a career-best and team-leading six rebounds and seven assists.

Up next, the Pioneers continue their five-game homestand, hosting New Orleans Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.