BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - University of Denver women's basketball junior Kaetlyn Murdoch (Temple, Texas) scored two of her game-high 22 points with just 12 seconds left to give the Pioneers a dramatic 51-50 victory over Western Kentucky at E.A. Diddle Arena on Wednesday night.

"It was one of those games we were right there the whole way. Our game plan was good, and our players executed," head coach Erik Johnson said. "When we stopped turning the ball over, we were able to score. I'm really proud of our players, who just beat a very good Western Kentucky team. We're going to enjoy this tonight and then get ready for Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday."

The Pioneers (9-6, 1-1 SBC) trailed by 10 points with 5:03 remaining, but Denver clawed back and ended the game on an 8-0 run for its first ever win against the Lady Toppers (5-8, 2-0 SBC) in Bowling Green.

Senior Brianna Culberson (Jefferson City, Mo.) added 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

The Lady Toppers led 47-37, but Murdoch and Culberson combined for a 6-0 spurt before Hope Brown hit a three-pointer with 2:17 remaining to extend WKU's lead back to four point.

Culberson responded five seconds later with a three-pointer, and Denver forced a turnover that led to a Murdoch jumper.

Sophomore Emiko Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.), who had seven assists in the game, got a steal on the ensuing possession and dished it freshman Quincey Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.), who was fouled going for a layup and made a free throw to cut the deficit to one with 51 seconds remaining.

With 29 seconds left in the game, Denver forced a Lady Topper turnover. Smith dribbled the ball up the right side and passed to Culberson, who fired a pass over the top to Murdoch for a wide-open layup with 12 seconds left.

Denver shot 47.8 percent (22-for-46) from the field, while holding WKU to just 33.3 percent (17-for-51), but WKU had 13 second chance points and hit 13 free throws to keep the game close.

Denver led by as many as eight points in the first half, but WKU ended the half with an 11-2 run and took a 21-20 lead to the locker room. DU shot 47.4 percent (9-for-19) before the break, compared to just 29.6 percent (8-for-27) by the Lady Toppers. Brown led WKU with 13 points.

The Pioneers continue their road trip with a game at Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. MT. The game can be heard live on Pioneer Vision at www.DenverPioneers.com.

Notes: The win was the first ever for the Pioneers against Western Kentucky at E.A. Diddle Arena and just DU's second win ever against WKU... senior Britteni Rice (Pampa, Texas) left the game after hitting her head in a collision under the basket...Denver gained its first lead of the second half when Murdoch hit her layup with 12 seconds remaining.