DENVER  – The University of Denver women's basketball team used a balance offensive attack and hit 11 three-point field goals in a 77-55 win over Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium. The victory was Denver's biggest against a Summit League foe in nearly two years.
 
Inside the Box Score:
Meghan Boyd led the Pioneers with 18, a scoring day that saw her shoot 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Emily Counsel had 11 and Anna Jackson finished with 10 points on the day. Uju Ezeudu and Makayla Minett gave Denver five different scorers with at least nine points on the day, while pulling down 10 and nine rebounds, respectively.
 
All nine players that played on Saturday got in the scoring column in the final game in Hamilton Gymnasium this season. Denver's bench outscored Western Illinois' 40-10 on the afternoon.
 
In her final collegiate regular season game, Indeya Sanders had five of Denver's 16 assists.
 
First Quarter:
Denver raced out to a 24-14 lead in the opening 10 minutes, a quarter that saw the Pioneers shoot 8-for-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
 
Jackson led the Pioneers with eight in the first, followed by five from Ezeudu and three apiece from Boyd and Counsel.
 
Second Quarter:
The Pioneers defense was the story of the second quarter, holding Western Illinois to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. On the other end, Denver knocked down another three triples to stretch the lead to 21 at the intermission at 43-22.
 
Boyd connected on a pair of triples and Minett added four points and four rebounds in the second quarter.
 
In the first half as a whole, Ezeudu had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block to lead or co-lead the Pioneers in four different statistical categories at the break.
 
Boyd was in double figures at the break with 10 in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Third Quarter:
Seven different Pioneers found the bottom of the net in a 23-12 third quarter for Denver to push the lead to 66-34 at the end of three.
 
Denver used a 9-0 run in the second half of the quarter to stretch its lead to 32 with three minutes to play in the period. In the run, Mary Wilson hit triples on back-to-back possessions to give her six points to lead all Denver players in the quarter. 
 
Fourth Quarter:
Western Illinois outscored Denver 21-11 in the final quarter, but the Pioneers held on to the 22-point lead. Counsel had five of her 11 in the quarter to cap off her season high.
 
Notes:

• Meghan Boyd finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the 16^th time this season and the 43^rd time in her career.
• Emily Counsel finished in double figures for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career.
• Anna Jackson finished in double figures for the 11^th time this season and the 22^nd time in her career.
• Denver's 22-point win was its biggest win in Summit League play since defeating Purdue Fort Wayne by 26 on February 8, 2020.
• The Pioneers' 43-point first half was its first 40+ point half since the Pioneers scored 42 in a half at North Dakota on January 8, 2022.

 
What's Next:
Denver heads to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the Summit League Women's Basketball Championship. Confirmation of Denver's game time on Saturday, March 5, will be released by the Summit League early next week.
 
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION:
For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
 
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