DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team couldn't overcome a sluggish second half, falling 80-68 to South Dakota State in Magness Arena on Wednesday.

The Pioneers' freshman Robert Jones recorded his first collegiate double-double in the loss, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Ade Murkey scored 17 points in the loss.

Taelyr Gatlin dropped in a season-high 11 points.

The Jackrabbits were led by Douglas Wilson's game-high 31 points.

It was a tale of two halves for DU, pouring in 46 points in the opening 20 minutes but only getting 22 in the second half.

Denver got the start it was looking for thanks to the play of Gatlin, who took control in the opening minutes, recording six of the first 12 Pioneer points and setting up Jones for another easy basket.

DU pushed its lead to nine at 18-9 after a pair of free throws from Roscoe Eastmond, his first points of the evening.

The Crimson and Gold got its first double-digit lead of the contest at 25-15 after a 3 from Gatlin midway through the opening 20 minutes.

Pioneers held their ground on the defensive end, to take a nine-point edge into the break, 46-37.

Denver's 46 points were the most in a half this year.

The stat of the half was DU getting scoring from everyone, with eight of the nine players who played recording at least two points.

Denver took an 11-point lead, its largest, on a Jase Townsend layup 2:02 into the second half.

After DU held the lead for 12:30 into the second half, South Dakota State secured its first lead with a Wilson layup at the 7:30 mark.

Two Gatlin free throws put the Pioneers back to within three, 63-60, with 4:13 remaining.  But it would be the closest Denver would get the rest of the way as the Jackrabbits ran away from there, getting the win.

UP NEXT:
Denver (4-14, 0-4 Summit League) hits the road for a meeting in Macomb, Ill. against Western Illinois on Saturday. Tip is set for 1 p.m. MT.

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