FORT WAYNE, IND. – The University of Denver men's basketball team battled but couldn't stop a strong second-half performance from Purdue Fort Wayne in a 91-81 loss on Saturday at the Gate Sports Center.

The defeat snapped a two-game winning streak for DU.

The Pioneers had three players finish in double figures for a fourth straight game.

Ronnie Harrell Jr. recorded his fourth double-double of the season for DU, finishing with a game-high 24 points to go with 11 rebounds.

Ade Murkey added 21 points while Joe Rosga chipped in with 13.

The Mastodons were led by 23 points from Matt Holba.

Points off turnovers played a huge role in the contest, with Purdue Fort Wayne outscoring the Crimson and Gold 27-4 on the evening.

Denver overcame a hot start from Purdue Fort Wayne to take a 13-12 lead by the first media timeout. Solid shooting was key for the Pioneers, opening 5-for-8 for from the field, including going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

Both teams kept it close midway through the first half, keeping within five points of each other. Back-to-back layups from Murkey helped spark a scoring burst for the junior.
The Pioneers built an 11-point lead, their largest of the evening, at 33-22 after a deep 3 from Jase Townsend.

Purdue Fort Wayne, though, fought back, taking a one-point lead into the half at 41-40.

Balanced scoring was on full display in the opening 20 minutes for DU, with three players getting into double figures.

The Mastodons came out strong to start the second, going on a 10-4 run to force the Crimson and Gold to take a timeout and talk things over.

Denver worked its way back into the contest by getting to the rim and finishing, closing to within six after Rosga was fouled on a made jumper in the paint and converted the free throw at the 8:03 mark.

Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a backbreaking 13-6 run that was capped off by a 3 from Marcus Deberry on a good feed from preseason Summit League first-team selection John Konchar.

The Pioneers never got the Mastodon lead back to single digits the rest of the way.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers (7-15, 2-6 Summit League) return home for a meeting next Sunday against South Dakota State. Tip is set for 1 p.m. MT and can be seen on Altitude.

Register for Alumni Weekend
Denver men's basketball alumni weekend is set for 2019! The men's basketball Alumni Weekend tips off on Thursday night, February 28th as the Pioneers host Western Illinois at 7 p.m. On Friday, Alumni will take the floor at 5 p.m. followed our Senior Recognition Dinner at 7 p.m. with the finale to weekend – DU versus Omaha at 1 p.m. on Saturday. To register for Alumni Weekend – Contact Dwight Thorne II at Dwight.thorne@du.edu or call the basketball office at 303-871-4781. Information is also available at the marketing table in the north endzone of Magness Arena.
 
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