MURFREESBORO, Tenn. Junior Nnenna Akotaobi (Thornton, Colo.) led the Pioneers with 16 points, but DU women’s basketball team lost its third Sun Belt Conference game of the season on Sunday afternoon to Middle Tennessee, 93-55, in the Murphy Center.

 

“We played hard,” head coach Pam Tanner said. “We just need to execute.”

 

Akotaobi added three rebounds. Senior Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) was the Pioneers’ second leading scorer with nine. Juniors Sara Bents (Billings, Mont.) and Andie Mason (Gilbert, Ariz.) had four rebounds apiece for a team-high. Denver got offensive contributions from 11 of its 12 players.

 

The Pioneers (4-9, 0-3 SBC) tied the game at 2-2 early in the beginning of the game but the Blue Raiders (8-7, 3-1 SBC) went on a 15-0 run. Denver trailed by as many as 21 in the half but pulled within 17 at the half, going to the lockerroom down 39-22. DU forced Middle Tennessee into 14 turnovers. The Pioneers shot 40.0 percent in the half, led by Akotaobi’s 10 points.

 

Denver cut the lead to 15 midway through the second half but a 18-3 run by the Blue Raiders put MT up 30 and the Pioneers never climbed back into the game.

 

Denver returns home on Tuesday, Jan. 8 to play Utah Valley State at 7 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium.