Box Score

DENVER Freshman Britteni Rice (Pampa, Texas) scored 11 points off the bench in hopes to spark the sluggish Pioneer offense, but the University of Denver women’s basketball team lost its Sun Belt Conference opener to North Texas on Saturday afternoon, 72-56.

 

Junior Nnenna Akotaobi (Thornton, Colo.) led DU (4-6, 0-1 SBC) with 14 points and senior Alisha Godette added 11 points. Denver shot 30.8 percent (20-for-65) from the field, including 14.3 percent (3-for-21) from three-point range. Akotaobi and Godette had eight rebounds apiece.

 

The Pioneers found themselves in a 12-0 hole to begin the game before Akotaobi hit a three at 14:20 for DU’s first points of the game. Freshmen Abbey Leichliter (Greeley, Colo.) sparked a Pioneer rally by pulling down a rebound and feeding Meyer for a lay-up. A UNT turnover led to a Rice driving lay-up. Senior Brooke Meyer (Denver, Colo.) converted on a hoop and harm situation to pull DU within two at 12-10. Godette hit a 15-foot jumper to knot the game at 12-12. Leichliter gave DU its first lead of the game by hitting a three.  

 

The Pioneers were up 18-16 on North Texas after Godette hit two free throws, but UNT answered with a 15-0 run and Denver found itself trailing, 31-18. Akotaobi again stopped the run with a jumper, but UNT hit a three at the other end to extend its lead to 34-20. Rice hit a three to cut the lead to 11. Rice hit one of two from the line to get the deficit to 10. But North Texas hit a three at the buzzer to go into the lockerroom up 37-24 at the half.

 

Denver shot 25.7 percent (9-for-35) for the half, while North Texas hit 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the field. UNT’s Jo Hall had 19 points in the half.

 

DU got within 11 in the second half, but North Texas kept the pressure on and led by as many as 21 points. Denver got to within 12 points late in the game, but North Texas went on for the win.

 

The Pioneers return action on Sunday, Dec. 30, against Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., at 1 p.m. MT in nonconference action.