Box Score MONROE, La. Freshman guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scored a career-high 29 points as the University of Denver men’s basketball team beat the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 66-57 at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Thursday night.
The win was the fourth-straight for the Pioneers (14-14, 9-8 SBC) and their second-consecutive road win. Denver swept both regular season games against the Warhawks (9-19, 5-12 SBC), the first time DU has swept a season series since taking a pair each from Middle Tennessee and Northern Colorado during the 2005-06 season.
“This was a big win for us, especially this time of year,” head coach Joe Scott said. “Our defense has been really good in our last four games, which is why we have played well. We have a big game coming up Sunday against North Texas and then a home game in the first round on Wednesday.”
Denver shot 47.8 percent (22-of-46) from the field in the game, including a 37.9 percent mark (11-of-29) from three-point range, while holding the Warhawks to just 28.6 percent (12-of-42) from the field. ULM went 27-of-30 (90.0 percent) from the free throw line, and the Pioneers were a perfect 11-for-11, including eight in the final minute of the game.
With the victory, Denver clinched a home game in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The game will be played at Magness Arena on Wed., March 4 with an opponent to be determined.
Junior guard Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) hit a three-pointer to open the second half and sophomore forward Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) hit the next seven points during a 10-0 DU run, as the Pioneers took a 38-22 lead with 15:21 left in the game.
Rob Lewis just missed his second-straight double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while all of Rohnert’s 10 points came in the second half. Rohnert also added seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
The Warhawks used free throws to stay in the game, as Malcolm Thomas sank his 15th free throw of the game with 3:12 left in the game to cut Denver’s lead to 55-44.
Stafford’s seventh three-pointer of the night stretched DU’s lead to 58-44 with 1:47 remaining, and the freshman hit six free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory.
The teams battled to a 16-16 tie with 8:32 remaining in the first half before Denver went on a 10-2 run to give the Pioneers a seven point lead with 3:48 left before the break. Three ULM free throws pulled the Warhawks closer, but a backdoor layup by freshman Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) with two minutes left put DU up 28-22, which is where it stayed after the first half.
The Pioneers relied on the three-point shot in the first half with six of their 11 field goals coming from beyond the arc. DU shot 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the field, while ULM hit 5-of-16 (31.3 percent).
The Pioneers return home for the regular season finale against North Texas on Sun., March 1 at 1 p.m. MT.
