DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team fell 94-81 to Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday night in Magness Arena. The Pioneers had four players finish in double figures on the evening.

Freshman Jase Townsend had his best game yet this season, scoring a career-high 18 points to go with six assists of the bench. The former Skyline High standout was especially dangerous from beyond the arc, going 4-for-8 from deep.

Ronnie Harrell Jr. and Ade Murkey both notched 15 points for DU in the loss.

Abiola Akintola chipped in with a career-best 11 points.

The win gave Purdue Fort Wayne the sweep of the regular-season series.

The Mastodons were led by senior John Konchar, who had a game-high 29 points while also dishing out 14 assists, a new career high.

Purdue Fort Wayne was on from distance, going 16-of-33 from 3 in the win.

Denver got the start it was looking for, cruising out to a 16-10 after a Harrell Jr. 3, his second make in the opening moments.

Purdue Fort Wayne fought back with a 13-8 run of its own to make it a one-point contest at the 7:55 mark, down 24-23. Long-distance shooting allowed the Mastodons to get back in the contest.

Purdue Fort Wayne made their move from there, taking a 15-point advantage into the half thanks to some solid outside shooting and ball movement.

The Crimson and Gold found its rhythm on the offensive end in the second half, erupting for 51 points while getting some big contributions from its younger core group of players.

Townsend really dialed up his game over the final 20 minutes of the evening, going off for 16 of his 18 in the period while also handing out all six assists during that span, giving him a new career high.

Denver also was able to get its own 3s to drop in the half, knocking down eight from beyond the arc to put pressure on the Mastodon defense.

But the Pioneers got the Purdue Fort Wayne lead under double digits the rest of the way.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers (7-19, 2-10 Summit League) hit the road for the final trip of the regular season with two games next week. First up, a journey to Vermillion, S.D. for a meeting with South Dakota on Wednesday. Tip is set for 6 p.m. MT.

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:
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