LA JOLLA, Calif. – The University of Denver men's basketball team dropped a 95-87 opener at UC San Diego on Monday night in LionTree Arena.
Touko Tainamo scored 31 points and Tommy Bruner added 23 in the loss.
The Pioneers had three players score in double figures, led by Tainamo, who had a double-double with 31 points and 18 rebounds. Bruner added 23 points and DeAndre Craig helped out with 11 points and four assists off of the bench.
Denver out-rebounded UCSD 48-36 in Monday's game, led by Tainamo's 18 boards. The Pioneers also pulled down 24 offensive rebounds and scored 24 second chance points.
Notes:
Touko Tainamo finished with career highs in points 31 and rebounds 18.
- Tainamo capped off his seventh career double-double in the final minute of the first half on Monday, posting 15 points and 10 boards in the first half and 31 and 18 in the game.
- Tainamo's double figure performance is the 30th of his career.
- 20+ points for the third time in his career
- 30+ point performance was Denver's first since Tyree Corbett scored 30 last November against the Citadel.
- Tainamo finished in double figure rebounds for the 12th time in his career.
- Tainamo's 18 rebounds tie for the third-most in a DI game for the Pioneers, and were the most in a game since Yemi Nicholson pulled down 20 on January 28, 2006.
- 14 free-throws made tied for the fourth-most in a game in Denver's DI history, and were the most since Ade Murkey drained 14 on February 29, 2020.
Tommy Bruner made his 100th appearance in NCAA Basketball on Monday night, finishing in double figures for the third-straight game and the 73rd game of his career.
- Bruner's 20+ point game was the ninth time in his two-year Denver career.
DeAndre Craig finished in double figures in his NCAA debut with 11
- As a team, Denver had 20+ offensive rebounds (24) for the first time since pulling down 21 against FIU on Jan. 17, 2004.
How It Happened
After falling behind 28-25, Denver went on a 5-0 run with 5:15 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Pedro Lopez Sanvicente, to take a 30-28 lead. The Pioneers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 41-40 advantage. Denver did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 41 points close to the basket.
UCSD proceeded to take a 64-54 lead before Denver went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Isaiah Addo-Ankrah's three, to shrink the deficit to 64-60 with 11:20 to go in the contest. UCSD responded and outscored the Pioneers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 95-87. Denver made the most of 16 offensive rebounds to tack on 17 second chance points out of 46 total in the period.
Up Next:
Denver will open its 2023-24 home slate on Thursday when the Pioneers welcome Cal Poly to Hamilton Gymnasium. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. MT on Altitude 2, the Summit League Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3.
Summit League Network:
New this year, fans can subscribe to the Summit League Network, the exclusive streaming home of all Denver men's and women's basketball home games and conference away games. For more information on the Summit League Network, click here.
Denver Tickets:
Season and single game tickets are on sale now. Secure your seat today by clicking here.
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