MBB v Omaha (21 JAN 16) - Highlights
MBB v Omaha (21 JAN 16) - Full Game
MBB v Omaha (21 JAN 16) - Post Game

DENVER, Colo. - C.J. Bobbitt (Harker Heights, Texas) scored a career-high 17 points and added four rebounds, as the University of Denver men's basketball team fell to the Omaha Mavericks 69-55 Thursday evening at Magness Arena.

Denver (10-10, 2-5, SL) held the third highest scoring team in the nation 17 points below their average (85.9 per game), but could not overcome a cold-shooting night from the floor and a career-best 29 points from the Mavericks' Jake White as Omaha (13-7, 5-1, SL) remained tied for first with IPFW in The Summit League standings.

"I thought the tempo of the game was right for us," head coach Joe Scott said. "The thing we didn't do was what our No. 1 thing has to be for us to play well, which is take care of the basketball. We didn't do that in the first half. If you take care of the ball, you get a shot every possession and you get in a rhythm offensively."

The first six minutes of the game saw back-and-forth action with the score tied at 10. The Pioneers got two 3-pointers, one from Marcus Byrd (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and another from Thomas Neff (Arvada, Colo.). Omaha rattled off a 7-0 run to open a 17-10 lead.

DU chipped away as Nate Engesser (Colorado Springs, Colo.) went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line and a Bobbitt two-pointer pushed Denver within four. Omaha finished the half outscoring the Crimson and Gold 8-5 to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.

Denver shot just 30.4 percent (7-of-23), while Omaha hit for 40.7 percent (11-of-27) in the first 20 minutes. The Pioneers hit for 20.0 percent (3-of-15) from behind the arc, while the Mavericks missed on all five of their attempts in the opening half.

Engesser led the Pioneers with six points in the first half, while Bobbitt added five points and four rebounds.

The second half started with the Mavericks opening a 36-27 advantage. Denver would go on a mini 5-0 run to get within four. Omaha extended the lead to 45-37 before Bobbitt hit his second 3-pointer of the game to get DU back within five, but that was the closest the Crimson and Gold would get in the second half.

Joe Rosga (St. Paul, Minn.) finished with 12 points, while Duke Douglas (New Orleans, La.) grabbed a team-leading six rebounds for DU.

Denver finished the game shooting a season-low 34.7 percent (17-of-49), while Omaha finished shooting 49.0 percent (24-of-49) . The Pioneers finished the game hitting 20.0 percent (5-of-25) from beyond the arc compared to just 10.0 percent (1-of-10) for the Mavericks.

Notes: The Pioneers have now hit a 3-pointer in 305 consecutive games.

Up Next: Denver will have the next week off and return to action on Thursday, Jan.28 against South Dakota with tip scheduled at 7 p.m. MT. The game can be heard on Mile High Sports Radio AM1340 with Raj Sharan on play-by-play duties. The game will also be streamed on Pioneer Vision via video and audio. For subscription information to Pioneer Vision please visit www.denverpioneers.com.

Tickets: Fans interested in purchasing tickets to upcoming Denver men's basketball home games can do so by phone at 303-871-2336, in person at the Ritchie Center box office or through DenverPioneers.com by clicking here.

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