DENVER - Junior point guard Emiko Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.) scored 10 points and senior Kaetlyn Murdoch (Temple, Texas) chipped in eight as the Pioneers were unable to slow down the Colorado Buffs, falling 71-36 to CU at the Coors Events Center Thursday night.

Smith added five assists and two rebounds, while Murdoch grabbed four rebounds and added two steals to her stat line. With the loss, the Pioneers drop to 6-3, while the Buffs move to 8-0 on the season.

"It was a really good basketball game, but unfortunately it was CU playing the really good basketball out there tonight," said head coach Erik Johnson. "I have to give Coach Lappe and her staff a ton of credit. They really made us look undersized. We are a good scoring team and we've been able to generate offense against any kind defense and the fact that Linda was able to take away our inside and outside game and force us to put the ball on the floor and force us out of our comfort zone, was really impressive."

 

 

After a first half that saw a combined 24 turnovers from both teams, the Buffs seemed to find their niche from both the inside and outside. CU shot 40 percent from three in the first 20 minutes of action and also had 10 points in the paint. The Pioneers attempted only two three-pointers in the first half, instead deciding to attack the Buffs inside. Four Pioneers combined to score 12 points in the paint in the first half, but Colorado's shooting from beyond the arc gave it the early advantage.

CU junior Chucky Jeffery played a large role in CU's first half lead, and made it a double-digit deficit on her half court heave as time expired. The Buffs took the 28-17 advantage into the half.

The second half started out the way the first half ended as CU went on a 14-4 run to begin the half. Despite the Pioneers' undying efforts, they were never able to get it back to single digits. The Buffs shot a scorching 70 percent from three (7-10) in the second half alone.

Jeffery finished with a game-high 20 points (9-10) and six rebounds, while Lexy Kresl added 13.

Up next, Denver returns home to take on the Oregon Ducks on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MT. Fans can catch the game live on ROOT Sports as Marc Stout and Greg Lackey will call all the action on the floor, while Alanna Rizzo will provide the side-line angle.

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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