LARAMIE, Wyo. – The University of Denver men's basketball team got the statement victory it was looking for in the young season, dropping Wyoming 90-87 in overtime on Tuesday at Arena-Auditorium. The win pushed the Pioneers' record to 4-7 on the season, while the Cowboys fell to 3-7.

The victory was the first time that DU has won in Laramie since 1998, the first year it jumped up to Division I.

Joe Rosga had his best game yet this year, scoring a season-high 22 points, which put the senior into eighth on the all-time scoring list.

Ade Murkey continued to show his improved offensive game, finishing with 17 points, his seventh game in double figures.

Ronnie Harrell Jr. chipped in with 15 points and five rebounds.

The Cowboys were led by a career-high 27 points from Jake Hendricks.

Mountain West leading scorer Justin James poured in 26 points.

Wyoming opened with a 13-6 run, causing Denver to take a timeout less than four minutes into the opening half to regroup.

The Pioneers responded fiercely with a 5-0 run capped off by a jumper from Murkey to make it a one-possession game at 13-11.

A 10-0 run though from the Cowboys gave them their only double-digit lead of the contest at 21-11.

Murkey, however, continued to be aggressive and got into the paint and had the jumper going, bringing DU back to within four at 23-19 going into the under-12 media timeout.

Rosga gave the Crimson and Gold its first lead of the night at 27-25 on an open 3 from the left corner, his first made triple of the contest.

Denver lead grew to six after a big 3 from Taelyr Gatlin, his fifth point of the period.

The Pioneers closed strong, taking a nine-point advantage in the break, 48-39.

Dominance on the glass played a big role in the first half, with the Crimson and Gold securing a 21-8 rebounding advantage.

In the second half, the DU lead grew to 14, its biggest of the game, after a layup from Harrell Jr. made it 55-41 at the 18:09 mark.

A 6-0 run from Wyoming cut the Crimson and Gold lead to seven at 60-53 before a nice attack and finish at the rim from Donoven Carlisle snapped a four-minute scoreless streak.

The Cowboys tied up late in this one after a pair of free throws from James to make it 72-72. Denver couldn't score on the last possession after Tory Stewart-Miller's shot rimmed out, forcing overtime.

The senior duo of Harrell Jr. and Rosga stood tall in the extra period, scoring 12 of the Pioneers' 18 points, highlighted by a perfect 10-for-10 performance at the foul line.

Up Next
Denver heads to the West Coast for a game at UC Irvine on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. MT and can be seen on Big West TV.
 
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 --
Like Denver Pioneers, Denver Men's Basketball on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers, @DU_MHoops on Twitter
Follow denverpioneers, du_mhoops on Instagram