Jan. 13, 2007

Box Score

MIAMI - The University of Denver women's basketball team had five players in double-digits, as DU beat Florida International in Sun Belt Conference action Saturday evening in Pharmed Arena, 74-61. The win marked DU's first victory over FIU in South Florida. Denver won its third straight game to improve to 9-6 overall and 4-2 in the SBC, while FIU lost its third straight game to fall to 9-7 and 3-2.

Senior Tyesha Lowery (Arlington, Texas) led Denver with 18 points. Juniors Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) added 13, while Brooke Meyer (Denver, Colo.) had 11. Alisha Godette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jenna Cole (Lincoln, Neb.) scored 10 a piece.

"I think we won the first four minutes of the game with our intensity and it set the tempo for the rest of the game," head coach Pam Tanner said. "I think our offense matched-up with the intensity of our defense."

Denver came up with 17 total steals, five by Cole and four by Lowery, who leads the SBC in steals and is ranked 15th nationally. The Pioneers outrebounded the Golden Panthers 35-to-34 and forced 28 turnovers.

Lowery gave DU a 14-point lead with a runner up the lane. Lowery then scored on DU's next two possession. Benham hit a lay-up to put Denver up 52-33 with 12:49 remaining in the game. Cole hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc to push Denver's lead to 20.

In the first half, Denver led by as many as 12 before FIU made a run at the Pioneers' lead, cutting DU's lead to three. DU went on a 7-0 run to end the half, capped off by a three-pointer at the buzzer by Meyer to put DU up 10 going into the locker room.

DU's defense forced the Golden Panthers into 17 turnovers in the first half. Denver led FIU in steals, 10-to-0, and rebounds, 21-to-16, at the half.

DU remains on the road, traveling to Jonesboro, Ark., SBC West Division leader Arkansas State (12-4, 6-0), Monday, Jan. 15, at 6:05 p.m. MT. Denver returns home on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. MT to face South Alabama as part of a doubleheader with the men's team.