SEATTLE – Behind a dominant performance from Ronnie Harrell Jr., the University of Denver men's basketball team bounced back on Saturday, knocking off Longwood 64-62 in the Elgin Baylor Classic. The Pioneers' record jumped to 2-3 on the year with the win, while the Lancers fell to 5-2.
 
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for DU.
 
Harrell Jr. had his best game of the year for Denver, scoring a career-high 23 points while also dishing out six assists, also a career best.
 
Ade Murkey added 13 points while also grabbing a season-high six rebounds in 28 minutes.
 
The Pioneers' 64 points marked a new season high for points scored in a game. DU has already held four teams to under 70 points this year in five games, a feat they did 13 times last season.
 
LU was led by Jashaun Smith's 15 points.
 
Denver took a one-point advantage at the first media timeout thanks to two quick scores from Murkey, who came out with high energy from the start.
 
The Pioneers' aggressive style showed early, forcing Longwood into seven turnovers in the first eight minutes of action, resulting in an 11-8 lead.
 
A 3-point flurry from Harrell Jr. helped get the Pioneers to a 17-13 advantage on the Lancers. The former Creighton standout knocked down two deep 3s, giving him nine points in the period.
 
The Denver native wasn't done yet, drilling two more to up his total to five made 3s in the first half as DU pushed its lead to nine a little over midway through the half.
 
The Crimson and Gold, locked in on the defensive end, continued to force LU into tough shots and bad decisions, to build a double-digit lead at the half, 30-20.
 
The 20 points allowed were the fewest allowed by Denver in a first half since a win at Western Illinois late last season.
 
Harrell Jr. was on fire in the period, going 5-for-8 from beyond the arc and accounting for half of the Pioneers' points.
 
In the second half, the Pioneers started fast before a Smith dunk forced a timeout from DU to regroup, leading by six.
 
Longwood made things interesting late, closing to three points after a Juan Munoz 3 with 48 seconds left in regulation made it 61-58 DU.
 
A turnover from Murkey on the next possession allowed Spencer Franklin to hit a layup on cut it to one with 14 seconds left on the clock.
 
The Lancers then played the foul game, sending Harrell Jr. to the line. The 6-foot-7 guard stepped up, knocking down both and making it a three-point contest.
 
LU followed that up by missing a deep 3-pointer but grabbing the rebound and laying it in with 0.2 seconds left on the clock.
 
Harrell Jr. went back to the line to ice the game by making the first free throw and intentionally missing the second and running out the clock on Longwood.
 
Up next
Denver wraps up the Elgin Baylor Classic with a showdown against Fairfield on Sunday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. MT and can be seen on the WAC Digital Network.
 
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 men'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 --
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