DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team couldn't pick up its first Summit League win on Saturday, falling 80-59 to North Dakota in Magness Arena.

Ronnie Harrell Jr. and David Nzekwesi each had a team-high 11 points off the bench.

Joe Rosga and Abiola Akintola each added eight points.

Donoven Carlisle grabbed 12 rebounds, one off his career high.

Aanen Moody had a game-high 21 points for the Fighting Hawks.

North Dakota opened strong, racing out to a 16-8 advantage less than seven minutes in the contest. Three-point shooting again haunted the Denver defense, allowing four makes to start the game.

The Pioneers closed to within three points after a deep ball from Harrell Jr. at the 10:19 mark, giving him his first points of the afternoon.

A back-breaking 17-0 run from the Fighting Hawks right after the Harrell Jr. 3 resulted in DU being down 36-16.

UND held tough from there, taking a 44-25 edge into halftime.

Long-range shooting was the key for North Dakota in the opening 20 minutes of action, going 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from deep.

In the second half, the Crimson and Gold opened with some energy, going on an 11-5 run to start, capped off by a Joe Rosga 3, bringing the team to within 13.

The Fighting Hawks, though, never let Denver get any closer the rest of the way, picking up the victory.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers (5-13, 0-4 Summit League) hit the road for a quick one-game trip to Brookings, S.D. for a meeting with South Dakota State next Thursday. Tip is set for 6 p.m. MT from Frost Arena and can be seen online.

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.
 
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.