DENVER. – The University of Denver men's basketball team delivered one of its best shooting performances of the season in a 76-64 win against Montana State on Tuesday evening in Magness Arena. The victory pushed the Pioneers' record to 5-8 on the season while the Bobcats dropped to 3-7.
DU knocked down a season-best 15 3s in the win, just two shy of tying the Magness Arena record set almost four years ago to the day against Colorado State.
The Crimson and Gold also improved to 33-7 (.825) under Billups when holding its foes to 78 points or less in a game.
Ronnie Harrell Jr. led the way with the hot-shooting touch, pouring in a career-high 24 points with 18 coming from beyond the arc. The former East High standout also grabbed five rebounds to go with his efficient shooting night.
Tory Stewart-Miller chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.
Joe Rosga continued his climb up the all-time scoring list, moving into seventh place in program history with his nine points, all coming from behind the 3-point line.
Harald Frey led MSU with a team-best 18 points.
Denver got the start it was looking for, jumping out to a 10-0 advantage, highlighted by two made 3s from Harrell Jr.
The Pioneers pushed their lead to 13 after a pair of free throws from
Ade Murkey at the 14:54 mark, giving the junior his first two points of the evening.
The Crimson and Gold broke the game open with a 13-0 run capped off by a banked-in 3 from Murkey that pushed the lead to 21 with just over seven minutes left in the opening half.
Denver remained in total control from there, taking a commanding 24-point lead into the half.
Hot shooting from deep and great ball movement resulted in 11 3s for the Pioneers, which tied a season high.
DU pushed its lead to as much as 27 in the second half before Billups turned the contest over to his young players, who fought hard but allowed for Montana State to close to within 12 at the end.
Up Next
Denver heads on the road for its toughest challenge of the year to date, a meeting with No. 8 Gonzaga in Spokane on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. MT and can be seen on Root Sports in the Northwest region.
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.
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.
