GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of Denver men's basketball team's comeback bid came up short on Thursday night, falling 78-71 to North Dakota in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Senior Ade Murkey led the Pioneers with a game-high 25 points in the loss.

Murkey also made history, recording his 1,000th career point. The Minneapolis, Minn. native became the 41st player in program history to accomplish the feat.

Jase Townsend added 19 points and seven rebounds.

The Fighting Hawks got a team-high 25 points from Kienan Walter.

Despite a fast start from Robert Jones, Denver fell behind 12-6 after the first four minutes. The freshman big man had it going early, scoring all six points for the Pioneers.

DU, though, immediately countered with a 6-0 run to tie things back up at 12, capped off by a David Nzekwesi basket in the paint.

The Fighting Hawks found some separation after that, connecting on several 3s to take an 11-point lead into halftime, 33-22.

Story of the opening 20 minutes was UND's ability to make shots from deep, with five of its 10 made field goals coming from beyond the arc.

Jones' play from the low post helped the Crimson and Gold was the bright spot in the half, scoring nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field.

Denver opened the second half with a purpose, going on a 22-9 run to take its first lead since 2-0 at 44-42 after a layup from Nzekwesi.

The Pioneer lead got to as large as four 46-42, before back-to-back 3s from North Dakota forced DU to take a timeout.

The Fighting Hawks built on their lead from there, pushing it into double digits. Denver never got closer than four the rest of the way, with UND making their late-game foul shots.

UP NEXT:
Denver (5-16, 1-6 Summit League) closes out its two-game trip to North Dakota with a meeting against North Dakota State on Saturday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. MT and can be seen on the Midco Sports Network.

2020 DENVER ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME RECEPTION: Denver announced its 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame class in January. The inductees will be honored on the DU campus May 16. For more information, registration for the reception and donation information, click here. 

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

DONATE:
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.