DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team fell to South Dakota State on Sunday, 92-82 in Magness Arena. For the Pioneers, the freshmen duo of Jase Townsend and David Nzekwesi showed some glimpses of a bright future, combining for 38 points.

Nzekwesi finished with a team-high 21 points while Townsend chipped in with 17, both career highs for the two young players.

Ade Murkey was the other Pioneer in double figures with 10.

The Jackrabbits were led by a career-best 36 points from Skyler Flatten, who drilled eight 3s in the game.

Mike Daum, the preseason Summit League Player of the Year, locked up a double-double with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

Both teams came out aggressive, going to the rim and getting good looks to start, resulting in a one-point contest in the first eight minutes of the game. Murkey was key in setting the tone in the opening minutes, scoring six of the first eight Denver points.

South Dakota State found some separation after an 11-5 run put them up 25-18 at the under-eight media timeout. Flatten sparked the run, knocking down three 3s during the stretch, a trend that would continue the rest of the day.

The Jackrabbits kept the pressure on, taking an 11-point lead into halftime, up 42-31.

Daum was a factor in the first 20 minutes of play, scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Cold shooting plagued the Pioneers in the half, going 11-for-32 (34.4 percent) from the field.

SDSU opened the second half with an aggressive 12-6 run that pushed its lead to 17 by the 15:45 mark.

The lead grew to 24 after a Flatten 3 with a little more than eight minutes left in the contest, upping his total to 31.

The Crimson and Gold battled back with its lineup of young players, cutting the lead back down to 10 after a late 12-2 run that was capped off by a tip-in from Nzekwesi near the end of regulation.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers (7-16, 2-7 Summit League) hit the road for two games next week. First up, a meeting with Oral Roberts in Tulsa on Thursday. 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:
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.