USAFA, Colo. – The University of Denver women's basketball team fell to Air Force 79-62 in its season opener on Tuesday night at Clune Arena.
Inside The Box Score:
Uju Ezeudu led the Pioneers with 19 points and nine rebounds.
Meghan Boyd finished in double figures as well with 12 points and three boards.
Tess Santos scored all nine of her points in the second quarter to cap the Pioneers strong first half.
Denver finished 46.8% from the field on 22-of-47 shooting. The Falcons controlled the momentum of the game on the glass though, out-rebounding the Pios 39-34, but converting 19 offensive rebounds into 19 second chance points.
First Quarter:
The Pioneers raced out to a 14-4 lead in the first 4:56 of the campaign. An 11-4 run that included seven-straight Denver points from Boyd forced an Air Force timeout that sent the game to its first media timeout of the night.
Boyd and Ezeudu had seven apiece to lead all scorers in the opening quarter. Ezeudu shot Denver's only four free-throws, going 3-4 from the line.
Denver shot 50-percent from the field in the first quarter, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Second Quarter:
In her first game with the Crimson and Gold, Santos put up all nine of her first-half points in the second quarter to lead the Pioneers in the period.
Denver shot 7-for-12 as a team from the field in the second quarter en-route to outscoring the Falcons 21-17.
Boyd and Santos finished the first half with nine apiece to lead the Pioneers. Briana Autrey led the Falcons with 14 points on 5-12 shooting in the opening 20 minutes, but the Pioneers carried a 40-30 advantage into the locker room.
Third Quarter
Air Force used a 13-of-20 shooting quarter to go on a 29-7 run in the third and take a 12 point lead heading into the final 10 minutes. The Pioneers went 2-for-11 after switching ends of the floor and got out-rebounded 16-5 in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
The Falcons got their lead to as many as 19 in the fourth quarter, converting on seven-of-eight attempts from the line in the frame. Denver shot 6-for-10 from the field in the period, including a triple from
Anna Jackson.
Notes:
- Meghan Boyd finished in double figures for the fourth-straight game and the 28th time in her career.
- Uju Ezeudu finished in double figures for the 35th time in her Pioneer career, including her third-straight contest.
What's Next:
Denver will open its home slate on Friday against Missouri S&T. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. MT. It'll be the first meeting between the programs.
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