Box Score DENVER Sophomore forward Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored 20 points and had three rebounds, but the University of Denver fell to the University of North Texas Mean Green 73-59 at Magness Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Pioneers (14-15, 9-9 SBC) secured the No. 7 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which begins Wednesday night when DU will take on 10th-seeded Louisiana-Monroe.
Denver shot 22-for-46 (47.4 percent) from the field while North Texas went 24-for-50 (48.0 percent), including a team high 26 points from Adam McCoy. However, the Mean Green out-rebounded the Pioneers 35-17.
“You have to give credit to North Texas. They played extremely well and were more physical than us,” said head coach Joe Scott. “We are in March, and these young guys have made a lot of progress this season. To get to 14 win, to get a home game in the Sun Belt Tournament, to get those two road wins in a row, maybe today there was a little letdown. We have had one of these letdown games about once a month, but our guys have responded every time, and we will look to do that in the tournament.”
Denver also received double-digits from junior guard Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.), who collected 13 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while freshman guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) had 11 points, six of which from behind the three-point line.
North Texas (18-11, 11-7 SBC) scored the game’s first four points, but freshman forward Justin Coughlin (Yuma, Colo.) responded with a layup at 17:59. Redshirt freshman forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) hit a three-pointer to give the Pioneers a one-point lead at the 12:48 mark in the first half.
The Pioneers, who were led by Rob Lewis’s 14 first half points, shot 10-for-22 (45.5 percent) from the field before halftime, including 4-for-10 (40.0 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Mean Green shot 13-for-28 (46.4 percent) from the field and went 4-for-10 (40.0 percent) from three-point range. The Mean Green sent the Pioneers into the locker room trailing 35-26.
The Mean Green opened the second half with a 9-2 run and stretched the lead to as many as 20 points.
Denver hosts the first round of the SBC Tournament at Magness Arena on Wednesday night, when the Pioneers will face Louisiana-Monroe.
