PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The University of Denver women's basketball team came up just shy in an overtime thriller at the Grand Canyon Tournament when host GCU defeated the Pioneers by a final score of 73-70.

Denver had four athletes scoring in double digits, with sophomore guard Samantha Romanowski leading the Pioneers with 14 points. Senior forward Jacqlyn Poss's and freshman guard Lauren Loven's each had 12 points. Senior forward Jesse Spittel tied a career-high grabbing 11 rebounds, an astounding eight of them being offensive boards. Spittel also added nine points, two assists and one steal.

Sophomore forward Jahla Osborne grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for the Pioneers and freshman guard Briana Johnson scored in double digits for the second straight contest with 10, including going 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Denver shot 37.3 percent on the afternoon, going 25-of-67 while GCU shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61). As a team, DU grabbed 43 rebounds, 17 of them were offensive boards. The Lopes had 41 total rebounds for the game.

DU would take an early 9-2 lead, when junior guard Ciera Morgan drove hard through the lane and collected two. Osborne would grab the offensive board and make it count, getting two points and giving the Pioneers a 13-8 lead going into the second quarter.

Denver would get its first points in the second quarter on a put-back from Spittel with just under eight minutes to go and would bring the score to 15-11.

Freshman forward Abi Curtin would collect three from the top of the key and give the Pioneers a 27-15 lead with four minutes to play in the half.

A strong second quarter for Spittel would see her grabbing six offensive boards. She would get fouled on one of the six and get to the line where she made one of two and give the Pioneers a 30-18 lead with two minutes to play in the half.

GCU went on a 9-0 run the last two minutes and brought the score within five going into the half at 30-25.

The first half showcased a very balanced scoring attack for Denver with nine players collecting points led by Briana Johnson's six points.

DU's bench would put up 16 points in the first half while Grand Canyon's bench would only have one point from its bench.

In the second half, Curtin grabbed an offensive board with six minutes to play in the third quarter and put it back for two, giving the Pioneers a 34-30 lead.

Romanowski would hit the floater through the lane with just under three minutes to go in the third period, and give the Pioneers a three point lead at 38-35. The Lopes would claw their way back while DU went on a scoring drought for 2:43, and GCU took a one-point lead on the Pioneers with under a minute to play in the third period.

The fourth quarter would be a tale of back-and-forth play, as each team would take the lead multiple times throughout.

The Lopes took a four point lead over the Pioneers when back-to-back jumpers from Poss would tie the score at 49 with six minutes to play in the game.

Poss came up huge again, nailing a deep three with 2:35 to play and gave Denver the lead at 56-54.

Romanowski hit a clutch jumper also drawing the foul with 1:46 to play in the game, giving DU the lead back at 58-57.

Regulation would end tied at 59.

Loven would hit back-to-back monster 3s and give Denver a 65-59 lead with 3:30 to play in the overtime period. Romanowski would take her shot seconds later and drain one from beyond the arc, bringing the score to 70-66 with just over a minute to play.

GCU would tie the game at 70 with 32.3 seconds to play and would take a three point lead with 10.5 seconds to go on a corner three which would prove to be the game-winner as Denver would fall to GCU by a final of 73-70.

The Pioneers are back in action for game two of the Grand Canyon Tournament Saturday at 1 p.m. DU will face the University of Northern Iowa.

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