DENVER - Career-nights from freshman Jordan Johnston (Waterloo, Iowa) and junior point guard Emiko Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.) helped guide the Pioneers to a 66-57 victory over Northern Colorado Wednesday night at the Butler-Hancock Sport Pavilion. The win improves the Pioneers to 5-1 and drops UNC to 4-3 on the season.

"I'm proud of the fight our girls showed tonight," said head coach Erik Johnson. "For a period there in the first half, it seemed we didn't score for a whole 10 minutes. But we were able to regroup and gain the much-needed victory."

This victory is the second-straight over the Bears as the Pioneers are now 2-1 against UNC in the Erik Johnson-era. Smith led all players with a career-high 17 points (2-of-5 from three-point), including six assists. Johnston contributed her own career-high with 13 points, all coming in the second half.

 

A closely played first half saw two lead changes and one tie. Fortunately for the Pioneers, Murdoch and Smith were converting as the two scored a combined 14 points in the first half on 5-of-8 shooting.

Denver and UNC traded buckets again to begin the second half, as no team took a lead larger than four points for the first 14 minutes of action. Johnston and freshman Morgan Van Riper-Rose (Eden Prairie, Minn.) gave DU the energy it needed late in the second half as the two combined for 15 of DU's 41 total points in the final period. A 9-2 run for the Pioneers in the final two minutes, including five points from sophomore Quincey Noonan (Broomfield, Colo.), sealed the victory for DU. Noonan finished with a season-high 15 points.

Up next, the Pioneers finish off their three-game road trip as they travel to Nashville, Tenn. to take on the No.22 Vanderbilt Commodores. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. MT.

Visit DenverPioneers.com for the most comprehensive coverage of Denver women's basketball, as well as all of DU's 17 athletic programs.

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