Box Score Jan. 7, 2006
Box Score
DENVER - Junior guard DaShawn Walker (Chicago, Ill.) scored a game-high 22 points, including six 3-pointers and senior center Yemi Nicholson (Aurora, Colo.) recorded his eighth double-double of the year with 18 points and 16 rebounds as the Denver Pioneers defeated the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, 75-63 tonight at Magness Arena. The Pioneers third consecutive victory ups their record to 8-6 overall and 2-0 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Cajuns second consecutive loss drops them to 4-9, 0-2.
Junior forward Antonio Porch (Denver, Colo.) was the third Pioneer in double-figures with 13 points. Dwayne Mitchell (17), Ed Turner (14) and Michael Southall (11) led the way for ULL.
Both teams struggled early, only going a combined 3-14 (.214) from the field in the game's first four minutes. The two squads continued to labor, but ULL's third field goal of the game gave the Ragin' Cajuns an 8-7 lead with 11:58 remaining in the half. Denver finally found it rhythm when Porch nailed a 3-pointer to give DU a 17-11 lead at the 7:47 mark. The Pioneers continued to roll as a layup by Nicholson extended the lead to 28-20 with 2:46 left in the half. DU carried a 30-24 lead into halftime.
Nicholson had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the game's first 20 minutes.
ULL came out swinging to begin the second half, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Walker and senior guard Brett Seger (Omaha, Neb.) kept DU ahead, 39-36 with 14:56 remaining in the game. Another layup by Nicholson make the score 48-41 at the 11:48 mark. Turner cut the margin to 56-51 with a 3-pointer of his own with 7:58 left. ULL would get no closer as DU went on a 14-2 run over the next five minutes to extend the lead to 70-53 at the 2:42 mark. The Pioneers took care of the basketball and made their free throws to seal the 75-63 victory.
The Pioneers only committed eight turnovers. DU made a season-best 13 3-pointers. Denver was 13-of-28 (.464) from downtown compared to only 22-of-60 (.367) from the field.
Denver travels to Greeley to face Northern Colorado on Wed., Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
