DENVER The University of Denver women’s basketball team were edged by the Creighton Bluejays, 68-64, on Wednesday evening in Hamilton Gymnasium.

 

“We got beat by a good team tonight,” head coach Pam Tanner said. “Our turnovers and lack of defensive intensity were our downfall tonight.”

 

Denver (2-4) was led by junior forward Nenna Akotaobi (Thornton, Colo.) 17 points and four rebounds while senior forward Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) and senior guard Alisha Godette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) each added 15. Benham also grabbed a team-high six boards.

 

Creighton’s Ally Thrall led all players with 18 points.

 

The Bluejays (5-3) jumped out to an 18-12 lead midway through the first half, but a 9-4 DU run put the Pioneers within one at 22-21 with 4:37 to play. Creighton responded with a 10-1 stretch that put them up 32-22 with one minute remaining.

 

Two baskets by Benham cut the Bluejays’ lead to six heading into halftime. Denver recorded 15 turnovers in the half to Creighton’s nine but DU shot 44.0 percent from the field in the half.

 

Denver remained within five points of Creighton throughout the opening five minutes of the second half before a Sam Schuett free throw put the Bluejays up by six 43-37.

 

Creighton used a 7-2 run to build its largest lead of the game, a 10 point 61-51 lead with 5:36 to play.

 

The Pioneers came within three behind an Akotaobi jumper with one minute remaining, but the Bluejays used a Sara Cain jumper to extend the lead to five. Benham responded for Denver, again cutting the lead to three.

 

Akotaobi put DU within two with 15 seconds to go, but Thrall sealed the Bluejay victory by sinking three of four free throws in the final twenty seconds.

 

The Pioneers shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53) in the game but committed 25 turnovers, while the Bluejays were 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field and committed 15 turnovers.

 

Denver will play Columbia on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7:07 p.m. in Magness Arena.