DENVER – The University of Denver women's basketball team dropped a tight Monday night contest to Oral Roberts 63-52 inside Hamilton Gymnasium.
Inside The Box Score:
Tess Santos led the Pioneers with 14 points to go with four rebounds and three steals.
Indeya Sanders also finished in double figures with 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Uju Ezeudu and
Makayla Minett had double digit rebounds and three blocks for the Crimson and Gold. Minett added eight points in the score column, while Ezeudu finished with seven.
First Quarter:
Denver raced out to a 12-6 lead at the under-5 media timeout. Santos led the Pioneers with six early points, including a triple off an offensive rebound. Ezeudu grabbed six rebounds in the first six minutes of the contest to go with a pair of buckets.
Sanders was at the center of another buzzer-beating shot this season, hitting a half court shot at the horn, but it was waved off after review. Denver maintained a 15-8 lead at the first quarter break.
Second Quarter:
Denver struggled from the field in the second quarter, but took a three-point lead into the locker room. Oral Roberts won the second stanza 14-10, shooting 5-of-15 from the field. The Pioneers shot 2-for-11 on the other side of the floor, but hit 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Santos led the Pioneers with 10 first half points to go with two rebounds, three steals and a block. Ezeudu had seven points and nine rebounds, paired with two steals, two blocks and an assist in the first half.
Third Quarter:
Oral Roberts opened the half on a 9-3 run to take a 31-28 lead and force a Denver timeout which resulted in the first of two third quarter medias.
The teams continued to exchange the lead in the third quarter and went into the second media timeout at 36-36 with 3:30 to go in the quarter.
Anna Jackson hit a triple to put Denver three points in-front, and a bucket from Sanders in the lane pushed Denver's lead to five with 45 seconds to go. The Pioneers took that two-possession lead into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
Sanders answered an opening basket from the Golden Eagles in the fourth with a three pointer and 1-for-2 from the line on the next possession to stretch Denver's lead to six.
ORU then went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 49-48 with 5:42 to go on the clock and ended the game on a 20-5 spurt in the final 7:50 to take the nine point win.
Notes:
- Tess Santos finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the eighth time this season and the 23rd time in her career.
- Santos had 3+ steals for the first time this season and the 10th time in her career.
- Indeya Sanders finished in double figures in points for the fourth time this season and the 24th time in her career.
- Uju Ezeudu finished in double figures in rebounds for the second-straight game, the seventh time this season and the 16th time in her career.
- Makayla Minett finished in double figures in rebounds for the third time this season and the fourth time in her career.
What's Next:
The Pioneers will continue their four-game homestand on Thursday night when Denver welcomes South Dakota to Hamilton Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. MT tipoff.
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