LARAMIE, Wyoming --Makayla Minett pulled down 11 rebounds and Mikayla Brandon added 11 more, but the Denver women's basketball team fell to the Wyoming Cowgirls 68-45 on the road Friday.

Emma Smith led the Pioneers (1-3) with 14 points. Brandon tacked on eight points and 11 rebounds and Minett chipped in as well with six points and 11 rebounds.

Minett pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Denver, grabbing 10 boards and turning them into 17 second chance points.

Denver's defense held Wyoming to only 40 percent shooting from the field.

How It Happened

Denver struggled out of the gate, falling behind 18-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pioneers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 35-17 halftime deficit.

Denver's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Pioneers faced a 55-27 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Denver played well near the basket, scoring six of its 10 points in the paint.

Wyoming kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 58-27 advantage before Denver went on a 9-0 run to shrink the deficit to 58-36 with 6:12 to go in the contest. Wyoming responded and outscored the Pioneers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 68-45. 

Game Notes

» The Pioneers held the Cowgirls to only 40 percent shooting from the field.
» Denver cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Emma Smith led the Pioneers with 14 points, finishing in double figures for the third time in her three collegiate games. 
» Makayla Minett and Mikayla Brandon led Denver with 11 rebounds apiece.
» Minett finished in double figures in rebounds for the second-straight contest and the eighth time in her career, while Brandon finished in double figures in rebounds for the second time this season and the 13th time in her career. 

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

LONG BALL ELITE:
Back for a second season, the Denver women's basketball program has restarted its Long Ball Elite fundraiser this campaign. Fans in a position to donate, consider pledging a dollar amount per 3-pointer made by the DU Pioneers this season. Join the Long Ball Elite campaign today. Denver made 15 triples in its first two games.  
 
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for the 2022-23 season are available now, and can be purchased here. Season tickets start at just $59.  
 
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of Denver's NCAA Division I sports.-
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Basketball on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Whoops on Twitter
Follow @denverpioneers and @du_whoops on Instagram