DENVER – University of Denver junior Cam Griffin (San Antonio, Texas) scored a team-high 13 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, but the Pioneers fell 67-64 in The Summit League home opener against Fort Wayne at Magness Arena on Thursday night.

Junior Brett Olson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), redshirt sophomore Marcus Byrd (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and sophomore Bryant Rucker (Frisco, Texas) scored 11 points each. Senior Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) added six points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Pioneers (7-10, 0-2 Summit).

“We are kind of in a rut right now, where we’re getting the same results in similar ways because we’re not playing our game over the whole 40 minutes,” head coach Joe Scott said. “Doing what we do and how we do it is a 40-minute thing. If your habit is not to play crisp and sharp all the time, that will show back up in the game. Tonight it did, and Fort Wayne took advantage of it, so you’ve got to give them credit for that. We need to keep working to understand that every possession matters, because that’s how you win close games.”

 Denver shot 51.1 percent (24-of-47) from the field and 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from three-point range. Fort Wayne (15-5, 3-0 Summit), which entered the game ranked eighth in the NCAA in field goal percentage, hit 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the floor and 41.2 percent (7-of-17).

However, the Pioneers turned the ball over 15 times, and the Mastodons capitalized with 28 points off those turnovers.

Both teams started slowly, but IPFW and DU went on a 9-0 and an 11-0 run, respectively, in the first half, and the Mastodons went to the locker room with a 25-24 lead.

The Pioneers played lockdown defense to start the second half, holding Fort Wayne without a field goal for a 10:16 stretch without a field goal and building a nine-point lead with 11:16 left to play.

Foul trouble hampered the Pioneers, who were whistled for 23 personal fouls which resulted in IPFW converting on 22-of-31 (71.0 percent) from the free throw line. DU was 9-of-12 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe.

Fort Wayne came back and stretched its lead back to seven with 1:50 left in the game, but a pair of three-pointers by Rucker and five points by Olson kept the Pioneers within a possession and a shot to tie at the end.

IPFW was led by Mo Evans’ 18 points, and Steve Forbes added 16 points and eight rebounds.

Denver remains at home this weekend for another Summit League matchup at Magness Arena, where the Pioneers will host IUPUI on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT. The game will air live Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510 and 93.7 FM.

Individual home game tickets for men's basketball are on sale now with prices starting at $9 for adults. Single-game tickets can be purchased in person at the Ritchie Center Box Office, by phone at 303-871-2336 or online at DenverPioneers.com/tickets. DU students are admitted to all Denver men's basketball games FREE with their Pioneer Card.

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