DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball team used a dominant defensive performance on Wednesday night to take down UC San Diego, 64-56 in Hamilton Gymnasium. The Pioneers snapped a six-game losing streak with the victory.

Inside the Box Score:
- KJ Hunt had one of his best games of the year, finishing with a career-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.  
- Touko Tainamo provided a big spark in the middle, scoring 12 points, his second game this year in double figures.
- Coban Porter was the other Pioneer in double figures, scoring 10 off the bench, highlighted by a 2-for-5 effort from beyond the arc.

Significant Stats:
- DU improved to 3-1 at home this year, its best start through four home games since 2019-20.
- The Crimson and Gold had its best rebounding night of the season, finishing a plus-16 in the victory on the boards against UC San Diego.
- Denver improved to 3-0 this year when holding a team to under 40 percent shooting.
 
Turning Point:
An 11-6 run from the Pioneers from 4:01 to :38 seconds left in the second half to push the score from 50-46 to 61-52.
 
As it Happened:
 
First Half:
The Pioneers opened with the first two baskets of the contest from Hunt and Tainamo but the Tritons got the next five to take a one-point lead into the under-16 media, 5-4. UC San Diego used a long-range approach to take a five-point at 14-9. Denver got the lead back after a strong take and finish from Tevin Smith to make it 15-14. The Pioneers continued to impose their will on the defensive, giving them a 24-20 lead at the break.
 
Second Half:
The teams traded baskets to start, with Denver getting a six-point lead at 28-22 on a turnround from Tainamo. DU made a big move, pushing its lead to nine after a tough finish at the rim from Porter made it 42-33, forcing UC San Diego to take a timeout with 9:33 remaining. The Crimson and Gold got the lead into double figures after a put back from Tainamo at the 6:34 mark. The Tritons fought their way back into late, cutting the DU lead to four at 50-46 after a made 3 from Jake Killingsworth with just over four minutes to go. But it was all Denver from there, stringing together stops and making free throws to pull away and pick up the win.

Up Next:
Denver (4-9) starts up league play with Western Illinois on Monday. Tip-off is set for Monday at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Altitude 2.
 
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Masks are required at all indoor athletic events. For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here 

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