FORT COLLINS, Colo. The University of Denver men’s basketball team battled through a back-and-forth game at Colorado State, but the Pioneers fell to the Rams, 44-40.

 

Trailing by four points, the Pioneers (2-4) pulled the game to within a point with nine seconds left, when junior guard Joe Jackson (New Orleans, La.) drilled a three-pointer from the corner.

 

Colorado State’s Josh Simmons made three free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the victory for the Rams (5-3).

 

“There are a lot of things you have to do to win on the road, and we did three or four of them well,” head coach Joe Scott said. “What we didn’t do was make our shots, and that’s obviously the most important part.”

 

Denver shot just 21.7 percent in the second half and 34.1 percent in the game, while the team hit 4-of-25 three-point attempts.

 

The first half saw two ties and five lead changes, but the Rams took a 27-23 lead into the locker room after shooting 57.9 percent before the break.

 

Jackson and senior center Adam Tanner (Melbourne, Australia) led DU with nine points each, while freshman guard Xander McNally (San Francisco, Calif.) had game-highs with six rebounds and four steals in his first career start.

 

The Pioneers return to Magness Arena on Saturday, Dec. 8, when they meet Northern Colorado. The game can be seen on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain and on Pioneer Vision at www.DenverPioneers.com, and it can be heard on Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510.