University of Denver
7-8,3-1Summit League
Western Illinois
6-11,1-5Summit League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Ill. | 13 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 58 |
| Denver | 24 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 70 |
1/7/2023 2:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Emma Smith and Mikayla Brandon record double-doubles, as the Pioneers improve to 3-1 in Summit League play for the first time since the 2018-19 season
DENVER – The University of Denver women's basketball team raced out to a 19-4 start and out-rebounded Western Illinois 54-31 en-route to a 70-58 victory on the program's second annual Pride Day Saturday inside Hamilton Gymnasium. Denver improved to 3-1 in Summit League play for the first time since the 2018-19 league campaign.
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The Pioneers (7-8, 3-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Emma Smith, who put together a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Ally Haar tacked on 18 points and Mikayla Brandon added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
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Denver out-rebounded Western Illinois 54-31 in Saturday's game, led by 12 boards from Makayla Minett. The Pioneers also pulled down 15 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second chance points.
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The Denver defense held Western Illinois shooters to just 32.3 percent from the field, including 20.7 percent from three-point range.
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How It Happened
After jumping out to a 6-4 advantage, Denver went on a 13-0 run with 6:45 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Haar, to increase its lead to 19-4. The Pioneers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 24-13 advantage. Denver relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 24 points.
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Denver kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 54 seconds mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Brandon, to increase its lead to 39-27, a score that would hold until halftime.
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After intermission, Denver held on to its advantage and owned a 52-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Denver played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 13 points in the paint, and the other five from the free-throw line.
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Denver kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 63-50 with 1:51 to go in the contest. The Leathernecks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Pioneers still cruised the rest of the way for the 70-58 win. Denver fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down three shots to account for nine of its 18 points.
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Game Notes
- Emma Smith recorded her first career double-double on Saturday afternoon, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
- Smith finished in double figures for the third-straight game and the 11th time in her freshman campaign.
- Smith finished with double-digit rebounds for the first time in her career.
- Mikayla Brandon recorded her fourth double-double of the season and the seventh of her career, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Â
- Brandon finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the fifth time in the last six games, the eighth time this season and the 19th time in her career. Â
- Brandon had double-digit rebounds for the sixth time this season and the 17th time in her career.
- Brandon had a career-high three blocks before halftime. Brandon finished with four blocks in the contest.
- Brandon finished with a +/- of +20.
- Ally Haar finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the sixth time in seven games, the seventh time this season and the 30th time in her career.
- Makayla Minett finished with double-digit rebounds for the ninth time this season and the 15th time in her career.
- Denver had 50+ rebounds for the first time since a triple-overtime win at Butler a year ago. It was the first time Denver had 50+ rebounds in a regulation game since February 29, 2020 against Western Illinois.
- The Pioneers rebounding margin of +23 was their best since finishing +25 on the glass (58-33) on November 29, 2019 against UC Irvine.
- Denver finished with double-digit triples for the fifth time in the last six games. The Pioneers have at least nine three-pointers in each of their last eight contests.
- The Pioneers are 3-1 in Summit League play for the first time under head coach Doshia Woods, and the first time overall since the 2018-19 campaign. Â
- Denver has won back-to-back games against Western Illinois for the first time in the series that dates back to Denver joining the Summit League in 2014-15.
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UP NEXT: Denver will head to North Dakota State on Thursday for a 6 p.m. MT tip.
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TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets for the 2022-23 season are available now, and can be purchased here.
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LONG BALL ELITE: Back for a second season, the Denver women's basketball program is running its Long Ball Elite fundraiser in 2022-23. 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.
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This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
