DENVER The University of Denver women’s basketball team (7-6, 2-1 SBC) defeated the University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns (3-11, 0-3 SBC) 67-46 on Saturday evening at the Cajun Dome in Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

Freshman Kaetlyn Murdoch (Temple, Texas) and sophomore Britteni Rice (Pampa, Texas) led the Pioneers with 14 points apiece, while junior Ashly Robinson (Bloomington, Minn.) and Andie Mason (Gilbert, Ariz.) finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

 

“I was very happy with the way we were able to bounce back after a tough loss the other night,” said head coach Erik Johnson. “We had some sluggish moments to start the game, but we regrouped and got our offense going. We were able to get the ball in to our post players who worked really hard to get us on the board against a tough defense.”

 

For the game, the Pioneers shot 54.9 percent from the field on 28-of-51 shooting, while finishing 75.0 percent from the free-throw line on 6-of-8. Denver scored 42 of its 62 points in the paint, compared to ULL’s 10 of 46. The Pioneers also out-rebounded the Ragin Cajuns, grabbing 39 boards compared to ULL’s 27. Denver is 5-1 when grabbing more rebounds than its opponents.

 

Denver is now 3-0 when four or more players finish in double figures, while Murdoch’s double-digit performance marks the sixth consecutive game that she has finished with 10+ points.

 

The Pioneers shot 48.1 percent from the floor in the first half on 13-of-27 shooting and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc on 2-of-9 shots. Denver remained perfect at the line as Rice and Robinson converted on 3-of-3.

 

After Denver jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start the game, the Ragin Cajuns went on a 16-4 run that spanned over five minutes, giving ULL a 17-8 advantage. The Pioneers rallied right back, stringing together a 12-0 run that stretched from the 13:22 mark to the 6:58 mark, giving Denver a 22-17 cushion.

 

Denver continued to add to its lead as Robinson, Rice and Mason helped the Pioneers into the locker room with a 31-25 lead. Rice led all scored in the opening stanza with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, while Robinson finished with seven on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor.

 

The Pioneers continued to put the pressure on in the second half as Mason drained a shot from long range to give Denver a 34-25 advantage. After the Ragin Cajuns added a bucket of their own, the Pioneers continued to stretch the lead as Robinson, Rice and Mason each added buckets to give Denver a 43-27 cushion.

 

Denver’s offense continued to click throughout the rest of the game, stretching its lead by as much as 25 points with 4:40 remaining on a layup by Robinson. Murdoch provided the final bucket for the Pioneers with 2:52 remaining to give the Pioneers a 21-point lead.

 

After scoring only four points in the first half, Murdoch turned up the heat in the second half adding 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

 

Denver returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, Jan. 7, as the Pioneers take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves in another SBC match-up. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Magness Arena.