PRESS CONFERENCE BOX SCORE

BROOKINGS, S.D. - A swarming South Dakota State defense was too much for the University of Denver women's basketball team to handle on Thursday at Frost Arena. The Pioneers fell 80-52 to the Jackrabbits, giving SDSU the season sweep.

Paige Bradley (The Woodlands, Texas) led DU with a team-high 13 points, moving her into 13th all-time on the scoring list. The senior also had two assists in the contest.

Ciera Morgan (Parker, Colo.) chipped in with nine points and four assists.

Kerri Young led the South Dakota attack with a game-high 15 points.

Ellie Thompson added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Jackrabbits.

SDSU struck fast in this one, rattling off eight straight before DU got on the board with a Morgan jumper on the left wing nearly three minutes into the first quarter. South Dakota State continued its assault on the offensive end, extending its lead to 20 by the end of the quarter thanks largely in part to attacking the glass and limiting Denver to one shot on most possessions.

The Pioneers' four points in the first tied a season low this year.

In the second, DU took command after it opened with a 5-0 run after two consecutive good plays on offense by Samantha Romanowski (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) and Maya Rodgers (Meridian, Idaho). The Jackrabbits, though, answered immediately with a 9-2 run that was capped off by a pair of free throws from Young.

Denver snapped a 4:34 scoreless streak right before the half after Avery Queen (Boerne, Texas) drained a pair of free throws. The Pioneers weren't done yet scoring, finishing the half on a high note after Romanowski shook her defender and drilled a step-back 3 right before the buzzer to end the half, bringing DU to within 12 at 33-21.

Points off turnovers played a big role in the opening half, with South Dakota State outscoring Denver 17-3.

The Pioneers did respond from an ugly first quarter in a big way, winning the second 17-9 on the scoreboard due to good defensive stops and knocking down open looks. DU held the Jackrabbits to 2-for-20 (10 percent) shooting in the quarter.

Each team traded baskets to start the third until Bradley sparked new life into Denver with a personal 7-0 run of her own that brought it to within seven at the media timeout, upping her total to 13 on the night.

SDSU closed strong with an 11-3 run that put this one away for good in the late third. The big run was powered by Thompson, who scored five of her 14 during the stretch.

It was all South Dakota State in the fourth, who outscored the Pioneers 24-12 in the quarter.

Up Next
DU (4-23, 2-12 SL) heads north for its final regular-season road game of the year. Denver will meet up with North Dakota State on Saturday. Tip is set for 12 p.m. MT.

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