FARGO, N.D. – The University of Denver women's basketball team won 87-67 over North Dakota State on Saturday afternoon. The win snaps a three-game losing streak and moves Denver to 13-11 overall and 6-5 in the Summit League. It is just the third win away from the Mile High City for the Pioneers this season and the first since December 28^th.

In the win, Denver had 10 different point scorers while four Pios eclipsed double-figures.  

Samantha Romanowski recorded her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 assists. The senior who eclipsed the 1,000 point-mark for her career on Wednesday also added seven rebounds and two steals.

Madison Nelson had 14 points, five rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes of action.

Claire Gritt produced 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal over 26 minutes.

Tsimba Malonga finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, falling just two points shy of her career-high.

DU and NDSU were both hot to start the game, combining to go 8-of-17 in the first five-plus minutes of the quarter. Despite the back and forth, Denver held a 12-9 lead at the media break thanks to balanced scoring with six Pioneers recording points in the first 5:56.

Following the break Haley Simental connected from deep and Romanowski scored three-straight to put DU ahead 18-11 at the end of one quarter. Seven Pios recorded points in the period while the team shot 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from the floor and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Head coach Jim Turgeon's team picked up the defensive pressure in the second quarter, using it to rip off a 12-0 stretch and increase the lead to 30-11 with 6:18 left in the half. The Bison, who hadn't converted a field goal since the 4:20 mark of the first quarter ended the drought with a 3 but Denver scored five straight to push the lead to 21 points with 4:00 remaining in the period.

Over the final minutes of the half, the Pios continued to click on both sides of the ball extending their lead to 47-24 before the break. The balanced attack for DU produced nine different scorers in the first half, while Loven, Malonga and Romanowski led the team with eight points each.

Denver and North Dakota State traded baskets in the first few minutes of the third period, but DU held a 56-31 lead at the media timeout. The back-and-forth action continued for the final few minutes of the third as the Pioneers led 63-39 with 10 minutes to play.

The Bison trailed by as many as 29 points in the third quarter but showed no fight in the fourth, cutting Denver's lead down to 23 with 4:36 left in the game. Following a media timeout, DU slowed the tempo and drained the clock en route to the victory.

Next up: The Pioneers return home on Wednesday, February 13^th when they take on Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 pm MT.

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Play4Kay Game:
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