JONESBORO, Ark. Sophomore Britteni Rice (Pampa, Texas) led the Pioneers with 19 points, her fifth consecutive double-digit game, as the University of Denver women’s basketball team (14-12, 9-7 SBC) fell 72-65 to the Arkansas State Red Wolves (14-13, 8-8 SBC) in front of 2,273 fans at the ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

 

Along with Rice’s 19 points, junior Ashly Robinson (Bloomington, Minn.) turned in a career-high 18 points as she finished shooting 6-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Robinson also finished with four eight rebounds, four assists and one block. Freshman Kaetlyn Murdoch (Temple, Texas) finished with her sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while also finishing with three blocks.

 

ASU’s Caroline Starr led the Red Wolves with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 showing at the line. Also contributing for ASU was Ebonie Jefferson and Sherina Scott as both finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

 

After the Pioneers took 6-4 lead three minutes into the game, the Red Wolves rattled off 16 straight points, sparked by three consecutive three-pointers by Starr. Denver was able to cut the lead to four points twice throughout the half, but ASU held onto an eight-point cushion heading into the half.

 

Robinson led the Pioneers in the first half with 10 points and three rebounds, while Rice added nine points. As a team, Denver shot 51.9 percent from the floor on 14-of-27 shooting, while remaining a perfect 4-of-4 from the line.

 

Starr led the way with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while Ebonie Jefferson added 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor. As a team, ASU shot 53.3 percent from the floor but struggled from the line, shooting 45.5 percent on 5-of-11 shots.

 

The battle continued in the second half as the Pioneers brought the deficit back to four off buckets by Murdoch, Robinson and senior Celena Otero (Aurora, Colo.) with 16:38 remaining. However, ASU stretched the lead by up to 12 points over the next six minutes off baskets by Jefferson, Scott and Brittney Hiles.

 

With 5:12 remaining, Denver pulled to within three points for the final time as Murdoch converted a lay-up and the free-throw off the foul. In the second half, the Pioneer defense stepped up and held the Red Wolves without a basket from long range.

 

Rice led Denver in the second half with 10 points, while Murdoch added nine points and seven boards.

 

The Pioneers continue on the road this week as they travel to Monroe, Louisiana to face the Warhawks on Wednesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT) and fans can follow the action live via Pioneer Vision as Mitch Hyder will call all the excitement on the hardwood.

 

- PIONEERS -