VERMILLION, S.D.  – The University of Denver men's basketball team fell in the cold confines of the Sanford Coyotes Sports Center on Wednesday, losing 72-45 to South Dakota in Summit League action. The Pioneers had two players finish in double figures in the loss.

David Nzekwesi, making his first collegiate start, finished with a team-high 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The 6-foot-9 big man also grabbed six rebounds.

Joe Rosga made history, moving up into fourth place on the school's all-time scoring list with his 13-point performance, highlighted by making three 3s from beyond the arc.

Stanley Umude led the way for the Coyotes, recording a double-double in the win. The sophomore finished with a game highs in points (18) and rebounds (10).

Both teams came out trading baskets, with South Dakota jumping out to a one-point lead at the first media timeout.

A couple of 3s from Rosga gave the Pioneers a four-point lead at 14-10 a little over eight minutes. The second 3 from the senior from St. Paul put in into a tie for fourth on the program's all-time scoring list.

The Coyotes came on strong after that, taking a 29-20 lead and never looking back by the 3:15 mark thanks to a 15-10 run, which was highlighted with several 3s, a trend that has plagued DU this year.

USD wasn't done from there, pushing their lead to double-digits by the half, up 36-22.

For the Crimson and Gold, cold shooting really hurt the positive start they had. Denver finished the half 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from the field.

In the second half, Denver got back to within 11 after an 8-5 start in the first 4:47, forcing South Dakota to take a timeout and regroup. Rosga and Nzekwesi provided the offensive spark, get some good looks down low, resulting in easy scores.

But it was all Coyotes after that, with a game-breaking 14-0 over a 4:19 stretch midway through the half, pushing their lead to 23.

A solid dose of outside shooting and at-the-rim scores kept the Pioneers from seriously challenging after that, securing the win for USD.

UP NEXT
Denver (7-20, 2-11 Summit League) wraps up the two-game road trip with a meeting against North Dakota on Saturday in Grand Forks. Tip is set for 2 p.m. MT and can be seen on ESPN+.

TICKETS:
For all Denver Athletics ticket inquires, call 303-871-GOAL (4625), or visit DenverPioneers.com.

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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