DENVER  – The University of Denver men's basketball program will hit the road for the second time in Summit League play this weekend when the Pioneers travel to the state of North Dakota for two, starting with a trip to NDSU on Thursday at 6 p.m. MT. The game can be seen live on the Summit League Network and heard on 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. 

SERIES HISTORY:
North Dakota State leads the Division I history 20-7 and the overall series 21-7. In the DI era, the Pioneers are just 1-11 in Fargo and North Dakota State has won each of the last 11 contests overall. Denver's last win came on January 16, 2019, an 80-65 victory in the Mile High City.

LAST TIME OUT:
Tommy Bruner led Denver with 26 and Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente added a career-high 23 points to lead Denver to its first win over South Dakota State since 2017, a 99-80 victory for the Pios in Hamilton Gymnasium last Saturday. DU's 99 points is its most in a conference game in regulation since scoring 100 on North Texas on February 10, 2001. Lopez-Sanvicente knocked down 5 triples, one of eight Pios to hit a three. It was Denver's first game with eight different players knocking down a triple since the 2012-13 campaign.

LAST BEATS FIRST

• Preseason No. 9 in the Summit League Denver beat preseason favorites South Dakota State 99-80 on January 13 in Hamilton.
• It marked the first time in the Summit League regular season that last beat first since Western Illinois defeated preseason favorites Fort Wayne 93-91 on Dec. 29, 2016.
• The January win was also Denver's first win vs. the Summit League preseason favorite since the Pios defeated Fort Wayne 76-73 in overtime on February 4, 2017.

BRUNER LEADS DENVER IN NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS:

• Tommy Bruner ranks first in the country in points per game (25.4), fourth in free-throws made (125), first in field goals made (144).
• Touko Tainamo ranks 42nd in free-throw attempts (105) and 47th in free-throws made (78). Tainamo is also tied for 53rd nationally in double-doubles with five.
• Jaxon Brenchley is 8th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (3.80).
• Isaiah Carr ranks 19th in the country in blocked shots (36).
• Denver entered the weekend 6th in the country in free-throw attempts per game (26.4) and 4th in free-throw makes per game (19.7).
• As a team, the Pioneers are 11th in scoring offense (85.7), 77th in rebounds per game (38.67) and 19th in turnovers per game (9.6).

DENVER'S OFFENSIVE PACE

• Denver's 85.7 points per game this season is the top scoring average in a season in the program's Division I history, and trails only the 1968-69 (89.8), 1990-91 (89.1) and 1975-76 (86.7) in DU's entire history.
• The Pioneers have scored 80+ points in each of the last seven games, the first 7+ games stretch over 80 points in the program's Division I history, and its first overall since the 1992-93 season (9-straight).
• Denver has scored 80+ points in 13 different contests this season, up from eight last season and seven the year before.
• 2023-24 is the first season with 13+ since the Pioneers had 16 80+ point games in the 1996-97 season (16 times).

DU'S DI RECORD BOOK WATCH

• 1000 POINT WATCH: Tommy Bruner has 965 points in his two-year DU career, 35 points shy of becoming the 16th Pioneer to reach 1000 career points. Touko Tainamo has 889 points on his way to 1000.
• CAREER RECORDS: Tommy Bruner has 271 free-throws made, tied with Rob Lewis for sixth on the list and 108 behind Nate Rohnert for the career record (379, 2006-10).
• Touko Tainamo became the seventh Pioneer to reach 500 career rebounds and currently sits at 529, one behind Antonio Porch (2003- 07) for sixth and 222 behind Brett Starkey's (2000-04) school-record 751.
• SINGLE SEASON: Tommy Bruner is fifth in free-throws made (125), 11 off fourth and 32 off the single-season record set by Nate Rohnert in 2009-10 (157).

BRUNER NAMED TO LOU HENSON AWARD MID-SEASON WATCH LIST:
University of Denver men's basketball fifth-year guard Tommy Bruner has been named to the 2023-24 Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List, CollegeInsider.com announced on Wednesday. Bruner leads the country in scoring, averaging 25.4 points per game ahead of the Pioneers return to Summit League play this weekend. The Denver guard has 12 20+ point games this season, including 30+ in five different contests.

UP NEXT:
Denver will close out its weekend trip to North Dakota on Saturday when the Pios take on the Fighting Hawks of UND. Tip is set for 11 a.m. MT on the Summit League Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3. 

Denver Tickets:  
Season and single game tickets are on sale now. Secure your seat today by clicking here.                 

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