DENVER Junior forward Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) scored 22 points to lead the University of Denver men’s basketball team to a 78-74 victory over Western Kentucky in its sixth annual PACK THE HOUSE game at Magness Arena on Saturday night.

 

Rohnert led all players in points and added six rebounds, a career-high nine assists, four steals and one block, while going 8-for-11 from the field.

 

Denver (8-11, 3-5 SBC) also received double-digit scoring efforts from sophomore Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.), freshman guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and redshirt freshman forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.), who each put up 16 points.

 

“We’ve been playing well every game for the past three weeks, but tonight at those critical moments we made the shots and didn’t turn the ball over,” head coach Joe Scott said. “It’s all part of the learning process. I thought our big turning point could be a win on the road, but why can’t it be beating the class of our conference at home?”

 

Denver’s win was the first over Western Kentucky, which advanced to the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament, since the Pioneers beat the Hilltoppers in the semifinals of the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Tournament. DU also improved to 4-2 in PACK THE HOUSE games, including two straight.

 

After leading by as many as eight in the opening 10 minutes, Western Kentucky (13-7, 7-2 SBC) used a 9-3 run over a 1:21 span to take its largest lead of the game at 25-16 with 6:48 to play in the first half. The teams traded three-pointers before DU came within four on a 7-2 run. The Pioneers ended the first half with four straight points from sophomore Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) and headed to the locker room trailing WKU 32-30.

 

Denver shot 12-for-23 (52.6 percent) from the field in the first half, including 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky went 13-for-26 (50.0 percent) in field goals and shot 2-for-16 (16.8 percent) in three-pointers.

 

The Pioneers took their first lead of the game 34-32 on a layup by Rohnert 1:39 into the second half. Denver then outscored WKU 16-8 over the first 5:29 of the second half to take a 46-40 lead with 14:31 remaining.

 

The Hilltoppers came within two before Rob Lewis scored four straight points to give DU a six-point lead, 50-44 with 10:57 on the clock.

 

However, WKU went on a 7-0 run, including five points by AJ Slaughter, to take a 51-50 lead with 8:50 to go.

 

The Pioneers regained the six-point lead, 65-59 with 3:50 remaining, on back-to-back three-pointers by Hooper and Stafford followed by a pair of Hooper free throws. DU extended its lead to nine with 2:19 to play, but the Hilltoppers responded with a 9-2 run over the next minute to come within two at 73-71.

 

The final 1:05 saw Stafford sink a free throw, followed by one from WKU’s Dejan Cvoro. Rob Lewis attempted a jumper with 20 seconds to play but missed, and DU called timeout with 17.7 to play after freshman Sabatino Chen (Louisville, Colo.) fought to hold on to the rebound.

 

Stafford hit Rohnert for a backdoor layup with 13 seconds remaining, and Rob Lewis iced it with two free throws with three seconds to play.

 

DU finished the game shooting 24-for-43 (55.9 percent) from the field to Western Kentucky’s 28-for-52 (53.5 percent).

 

One of the difference-makers in the game proved to be free throw shooting as Denver went 23-for-29 (79.2 percent) from the free throw line, while WKU made 12-for-16 (75.0 percent). Rob Lewis went 8-for-8 from the line, while Stafford went 6-for-8 and Rohnert made 5-for-8.

 

Western Kentucky was led by Pettigrew’s 20 points and seven rebounds.

 

The Pioneers welcome South Alabama to Magness Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.