Jan. 20, 2007

Box Score

DENVER - Sophomore Sara Bents (Billings, Mont.) pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds and blocked three shots as the University of Denver women's basketball team eased to a 54-34 win over Sun Belt Conference opponent South Alabama Saturday afternoon in Magness Arena.

"Sara Bents was a warrior on the boards," head coach Pam Tanner said. "She is committed to defense and to rebounding. She listens and is a very smart player. I have high confidence in her and she was the defensive catalyst in the game."

South Alabama's 34 points was a season low. The Pioneer (11-7, 6-3 SBC) defense held USA (9-10, 3-6) to 26.3 percent from the floor and 15.4 percent from behind the arc. Denver outrebounded South Alabama 41-to-35. DU added seven blocks and eight steals in the defensive dominance.

"Our defensive intensity was solid for 40 minutes," said Tanner. "We also executed our offense better in the second half."

Offensively, DU shot 38.5 percent from the field, including going 6-of-14 from three-point range. Junior Alisha Godette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored a game-high 12 points in just 11 minutes of play, while junior Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) added 10.

DU came out of the locker room and started the second half on an 8-0 run, extending its lead to as many as 18. The Pioneers shot 50.0 percent from behind the arch and 80.0 percent from the line in the half.

In the first half, the Pioneers' defense held South Alabama to a season-low 14 points. Denver held the Lady Jags scoreless for almost 10 minutes and led by as many as 11 in that time, before USA went on a 6-0 run to pull within four points before Denver closed out the half with back-to-back jumpers to go into the locker room up 22-14 at the half. DU pulled down 23 rebounds and had five blocks in the first half.

DU hits the road to take on Troy (10-8, 3-5 SBC East) in SBC Action on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 4:15 p.m. MT in the early game of a doubleheader with the men's team. The game will be carried on www.denverpioneers.com with Mitch Hyder calling the action.