GREELEY – The University of Denver women's basketball team fell 74-66 to the University of Northern Colorado on Friday evening at Bank of Colorado Arena. The loss is Denver's first of the season and dropped the Pioneers to 2-1.  

The in-state opponents played a back-and-forth contest but UNC pulled away in the fourth behind a game-ending 11-4 run.

Claire Gritt led the Pioneers with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting. She also added five rebounds and three steals.

Courtney Smith finished with 10 points and four rebounds in her first game donning the Crimson and Gold.

Sydney Mech once again eclipsed the double-figure mark with 16 points while pulling down a team-high seven boards.

The decisive fourth quarter began when the Pioneers got a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions to regain the lead in the first minute of the quarter but the see-saw action continued with the Bears making two layups to recover the slim lead. Leading 63-62, UNC ripped off a 5-0 run, forcing head coach Jim Turgeon to take a timeout with just over five minutes to play. The Northern Colorado run continued for the rest of the contest as the Bears ended the game on that 11-4 run to ensure the victory.  

The Bears opened the game flexing their muscle by getting two buckets in the painted area less than a minute into the game. A jump shot from Alexis Chapman and a free throw from Bridget Hintz gave Northern Colorado the early 7-0 lead, but Gritt converted a layup to make it 7-2. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes but a transition layup from UNC's Ali Meyer made it 13-6, forcing Turgeon to call his first timeout at the 5:48 mark.

The battle continued after the timeout with the squads trading scores over the final five minutes of the first quarter. DU remained calm, cutting the lead to six before the end of one as Tsimba Malonga led the Crimson and Gold with four points in the first quarter.

Gritt and Mech knocked down a pair of long-distance jumpers to start the second quarter, cutting the Bears' lead to 19-18. Gritt then forced a turnover and took it the length of the floor for the lay-in and Denver's first lead of the game at 20-19 with 8:24 remaining in the period. Trailing 27-23, DU turned an offensive rebound into three points thanks to a long-range jumper from Smith. The Pioneer run continued as Smith and Mech knocked down a pair of threes while Gritt converted on the transition layup to force a Northern Colorado timeout with four minutes to play in the half.

The Bears and Pioneers traded blows over the final four minutes of the half but UNC was able to regain a three-point lead after shooting 18-of-38. Denver outscored the Bears 26-23 in the second thanks to eight points from Gritt.  

Denver burst out of the halftime break with a 5-0 run to grab a two-point edge but the Bears answered right back with a pair of three-pointers to regain a four-point lead. The teams traded baskets for the next few minutes with neither team trailing by more than four prior to the media timeout. Gritt made another easy layup to make the score 52-50 with 4:21 to play in the quarter. A two-minute scoreless stretch broke out but Gritt ended the drought with a lay-in to tie the game up, 52-52. The Bears got a buzzer-beating layup from Savannah Smith at the end of the third quarter to retake the lead with a 5-2 mini-run, 57-54.

Next Up: Denver breaks for the weekend prior to returning to the hard-wood on Monday afternoon when the Pioneers host American University at 1 p.m.

DENVER ATHLETICS TICKETS: For all Denver Athletics ticket inquiries, call 303-871-GOAL (4625), or visit DenverPioneers.com.

TOGETHER 4 COLORADO TOY DRIVE
The Pioneers have partnered with CBS4 for the Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive to support the Denver community during the holiday season. Beginning Nov. 17, there will be toy drops at every Denver Athletics and Newman Center event thru Dec. 19. Additionally, there will be a Community Shop 'n Drop on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., hosted by the Denver Cheerleading squad at the circle drive on the north side of the Ritchie Center.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT: Fans interested in making a donation to the women's basketball program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.   
 
- Pioneer Together -

Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Basketball on Facebook


Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Whoops on Twitter