DENVER, CO --Marko Lukic hit a dagger 3-pointer with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter to put Denver up 81-72, and the Pioneers earned an 85-74 victory over the Colorado Christian Cougars at home Wednesday.

The Pioneers (9-3) had four players score in double figures, led by Justin Mullins, who had 23 points and four steals. Tommy Bruner added 23 points, six assists and two steals and Lukic chipped in as well with 18 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Denver out-rebounded Colorado Christian 30-29 in Wednesday's game, led by Lukic's six boards.

The Denver defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Wednesday's game, forcing 15 Colorado Christian turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Mullins' four steals led the way individually for the Pioneers.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 12-10 advantage, Denver went on a 17-0 run with 13:42 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Lukic, to increase its lead to 29-10. Colorado Christian then responded to tie things up at 38-38 heading into halftime. Denver got the job done in the paint in the first half, scoring 28 of its 38 points close to the basket.

After intermission, Denver grabbed a 47-45 lead before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Bruner's three, to grow its advantage to 52-45 with 16:01 to go in the contest. The Pioneers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 85-74 win. Denver took care of business in the paint, recording 26 of its 47 points in the lane.

Game Notes

» Denver outscored Colorado Christian 47-36 in the second half after a halftime tie to pick up the victory.
» Denver improved to 9-3 for only the third time in the program's D-I era. 
» The Pioneers shot well from three point range, knocking down four of 10 long range attempts.
» Denver tallied 16 total assists in the game, a new season high. 
» Justin Mullins, Tommy Bruner, and Marko Lukic combined to account for 75 percent of the Pioneers points.
» Denver shot 64 percent from the field to economically reach their 85 point total, its third game this season shooting over 60 percent from the field. 
» Denver had a 30-29 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Denver defense forced 15 turnovers.
» The Pioneers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording five blocks as a team.
» Justin Mullins had his second game this year with at least 20, finishing with a game-high 23 points.
» Tommy Bruner continued his strong play, going for 23 points and six assists, his fifth game in the last six going for at least 19 points and five assists. 
» Marko Lukic's 18 points were a new season high for the guard. 
» Denver got a team-high six rebounds from Marko Lukic.

TICKETS: Purchase men's basketball season tickets right HERE. Single-game tickets are also available and can be found right HERE.

Pledge Per Win Campaign: Winning time is giving time, for every win this season, your gift will be MATCHED up to $1,000. For more information and to setup your pledge & make an initial gift, click HERE

 
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of Denver's NCAA Division I sports.
Like Denver Pioneers on Facebook 
Follow @DU_Pioneers on Twitter 
Follow @DenverPioneers on Instagram 

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.