Dec. 13, 2006

Box Score

DENVER - Junior Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) and senior Tyesha Lowery (Arlington, Texas) both scored in double-digits as DU posted a 59-46 victory over Air Force Wednesday evening in Magness Arena in Denver. The Pioneers improved to 4-4, while Air Force drops to 3-7.

"It was a hard fought win," head coach Pam Tanner said. "We made some adjustments in the second half that helped us win. We wanted to quit turning the ball over at the pace we were in the first half. We only had six turnovers in the second half. And we tightened up our defense in the second half, allowing them to shoot just 18 percent."

Benham scored 12 points and Lowery added 11. Benham and Lowery also accounted for six rebounds apiece. Lowery had five assists in the game.

DU scored on seven straight possessions, pushing their lead to as many as 15, holding Air Force to just one basket in the last 8:32 of the game.

Air Force took the lead at 29-28 early in the second half, their first lead since 10:39 in the first half after sophomore Sara Bents (Billings, Mont.) got hit with foul and Pamela Findlay converted one of two free throws. Midway through the second half, Denver forced Air Force into four straight turnovers, part of a 17-6 run. Neither team scored a basket for a stretch of 3:45 in the second half.

In a first half that featured eleven ties, the teams combined for seven straight possessions with baskets. DU committed four straight turnovers during a period in the first half, allowing Air Force to stay in the game, part of 12 first half turnovers. DU capitalized on the 10 Falcon turnovers in the first half, scoring six of their total 28 first-half points off the turnovers. The Pioneers went into the locker room up 28-26.

Denver got 26 points from their bench. With the win over Air Force, DU is 2-0 against Front Range teams.

Findlay led the Air Force Academy with nine points.

DU begins its Sun Belt Conference season Saturday, Dec. 16 in Little Rock, Ark., against UALR at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on www.denverpioneers.com with the game being called by Mitch Hyder.