FARGO, N.D.  – The University of Denver men's basketball team got a 21-point night from Touko Tainamo to take the Pioneers past North Dakota State 78-70 on Thursday night inside the Scheels Center.

Thursday night's win was the Pioneers second-straight that broke long droughts against its opposition. The win broke an 11 game losing streak for the Pioneers against the Bison, and was the Pioneers first win in Fargo since 2018.

The Pioneers (12-7, 3-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Tainamo, who had 21 points and two steals. Jaxon Brenchley tacked on 15 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks and Tommy Bruner chipped in as well with 15 points and four assists.

Denver utilized great ball movement in Thursday's game, piling up 15 assists on 30 made field goals. Individually, DeAndre Craig lent a helping hand the most for the Pioneers with five assists and Tyson Garff also contributed with four assists of his own.

Denver did a great job disrupting North Dakota State shots in the contest, coming away with six blocks. Isaiah Carr led the way individually for the Pioneers with two rejections.

Notes:

• Denver improved to 8-20 in the Division I series against North Dakota State, and earned just their second win in Fargo, improving to 2-11 against the Bison.
• After defeating South Dakota State for the first time since 2017 on Saturday, the Pioneers earned their first win against NDSU since 2019.
• Denver won its first two away games in league play for the first time since 2011-12 (Sun Belt Conference).

Touko Tainamo finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds.

• Tainamo finished in double figures for the eighth-straight game, the 16^th time this season and the 45^th time in his career.
• Tainamo finished with 20+ points for the seventh time this season and the ninth time in his career.

Tommy Bruner finished with 15 points and 4 assists.

• Bruner finished in double figures for the 21^st-straight game and the 91st time in his career.

Jaxon Brenchley finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

• Brenchley has finished in double figures for the 10^th time this season and the 14^th time in his career.

Tyson Garff had 3 steals, all in the first half. Garff's second-consecutive game with 3+ steals.

How it Happened:
After jumping out to a 26-25 advantage, Denver went on a 5-0 run with 5:01 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Tainamo, to increase its lead to 31-25. The Pioneers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 37-34 advantage. Denver did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 37 points close to the basket.

Denver kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 76-68 with 17 seconds to go in the contest. The Pioneers held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 78-70 win. Denver got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 12 of its 41 total points. 

UP NEXT:
Denver will close out the weekend road trip on Saturday when the Pioneers take on the University of North Dakota on Saturday at 11 a.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live 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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