MACOMB - The University of Denver men's basketball team closed out its regular season the right way on Saturday in Macomb, using timely shooting to knock off Western Illinois 83-77 in Western Hall. The Pioneers got a split with the Leathernecks for the season series with the victory.

Inside the Box Score:
- Touko Tainamo had himself a game, nearly getting his fourth double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. The freshman from Helsinki was on his game, going 8-for-11 from the field.  
- Coban Porter powered the Pioneer attack in the opening half, scoring 16 of his 18 points on the day in the opening period. Porter again was deadly from deep, ending the day 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.  
- KJ Hunt got himself going with some key baskets late, wrapping up his day with 13 points and five assists.
- Tevin Smith, a native of Illinois, had a good game in front of friends and family, going for 12 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Significant Stats:
- The Pioneers picked up their seventh Summit League win this year, matching the total of their three previous seasons combined.
- Denver got its first victory at Western Hall since the Feb. 24, 2018.
- The Crimson and Gold snapped a three-game losing streak to the Leathernecks with the win.  
- DU improved to 5-2 this year when scoring 80-or-more points in a contest.
- Denver's four road wins are the most since the 2016-17 season.
- The Pioneers shot 50.8 percent (33-for-65) in the contest, improving to 7-0 this year when shooting better than 50 percent in a game.

Turning Point:
A late 3-pointer from Taelyr Gatlin that made it a two-possession game at 81-75 with 21 seconds left in regulation.

As it Happened:
 
First Half:
WIU started fast, taking a three-point lead at 12-9 a little over five minutes into the contest. Porter then gave Denver the lead with a flurry of 3s, making it 19-17 by the 11:47 mark. The freshman was on early, scoring 10 of the first 19 for the Pioneers. The Crimson and Gold got some separation after that, using a 10-2 run to take a 29-19 advantage, its first double-digit lead of the afternoon. Western Illinois fought its way back with a 6-0 run to make it a two-possession game at 29-25. DU answered with its own 6-0 run to extend the lead back to eight. Smith made his impact during the run with a putback and turnaround jumper. Denver kept its advantage going into the half, up 36-31.

Second Half:
Both teams came out hot, trading buckets as DU maintained its five-point lead at under-16 media timeout. A driving layup from Porter upped his total to 18 points in the game and pushed the DU lead to nine at 59-50 with just over 13 minutes left in regulation. The Leathernecks made their move though, using a 15-6 run to get back in front at 65-63 after a 3 from Luka Barisic. A strong scoring surge from Tainamo helped get the Pioneers back up at 70-68 with 3:59 remaining. Denver made it a two-possession game after a clutch layup from Hunt. Western Illinois responded with a big 3, cutting its deficit to three at 76-73 with 1:32 left. Gatlin came up with the play of the game for the Crimson and Gold late, drilling a 3 to make it a two-possession game at 81-75 with 21 seconds left. WIU got two quick points at the line after and was forced to foul, but Denver made its free throws to secure the victory.
 
Up Next:
Denver (11-20, 7-11 SL) waits to see who they will play in the Summit League Championship in Sioux Falls, S.D. next week at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.   
 
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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