Box Score MONROE, La. - University of Denver senior guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scored a team-high 17 points, helping the Pioneers win 63-48 over Louisiana-Monroe at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on Thursday night.
"We played extremely well," head coach Joe Scott said. "Our guys were prepared, and they did a good job defensively. We finished possessions tonight and never let them back closer to 11 points. It was a good game for us."
The Pioneers move to 15-4 overall, 5-1 in the Sun Belt Conference and 6-2 on the road this season.
Sophomore forward Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) had 12 points, freshman guard Royce O'Neale (Killeen, Texas) scored 10, and both players pulled down eight rebounds. Freshman guard Brett Olson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) had five assists.
Denver shot 50.0 percent (25-of-50) from the field, while holding the Warhawks to just 36.5 percent (19-of-52). Charles Winborne scored a game-high 18 points for ULM (2-18, 1-6 SBC).
The Pioneers dominated the first half, using a 17-2 run to build a big lead. DU shot 53.6 percent (15-of-28), compared to ULM's 29.2 percent (7-of-24), in the half and out-rebounded ULM 20-10.
Denver concludes its two-game round trip with a match-up at North Texas on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT. Fans can watch the action on Pioneer Vision, Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510 or FM 93.7, and via a live blog available at DenverPioneers.com.
Notes: The Pioneers' 15-4 record marks the best NCAA Division I start in team history...Denver is 6-2 on the road, matching DU's win total on the road over the previous five seasons combined...Brian Stafford hit his 236th career three-pointer, putting him in a tie with UALR's Nick Zachery for ninth in Sun Belt Conference history...Stafford also passed Peter Faller (1984-88) for fourth on DU's all-time scoring list...with Denver's win and Arkansas-Little Rock's loss tonight, the Pioneers move into a tie for first place in the SBC West Division...DU has won three of the past four games at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
