GRAND FORKS, N.D.  – The University of Denver men's basketball team led most of the first half, but trailed by one at the intermission before North Dakota earned a 92-78 victory over the Pios on Saturday afternoon in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Tommy Bruner scored 32 points and added three steals to lead the Pioneers (12-8, 3-2). Jaxon Brenchley helped out with 13 points and eight rebounds and Touko Tainamo chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds.

Brenchley pulled down four offensive rebounds to lead the Denver offense which grabbed 12 boards and turned them into 12 second chance points.

Notes:
Tommy Bruner finished with 32 points and 3 steals.

• Bruner finished in double figures for 22^nd-straight game and the 92^nd time in his career.
• Bruner finished with 20+ points for the 14^th time this season and the 22^nd time in his career.
• Bruner finished with 30+ points for the sixth time this season and the seventh time in his career.
• Bruner became the 16^th Pioneer to scored 1000 career points in Denver's modern Division I history.
• Bruner became the 43^rd Pioneer to reach 1000 points in Denver's entire history.
• Bruner reached 1000 career points in just 52 games with the Crimson and Gold, the fastest in the program's modern DI history and 15 games faster than B.J. Pratt, who held the record previously.
• Bruner had 3+ steals for the first time this season and the ninth time in his career.

Touko Tainamo finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds.

• Tainamo finished in double figures for the ninth-straight game, the 17^th time this season and the 46^th time of his career.

Jaxon Brenchley finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

• Brenchley finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the 11^th time this season and the 15^th time in his career

Tommy Bruner, Touko Tainamo, and Jaxon Brenchley combined to account for 76 percent of the Pioneers points.
The Pioneers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team, led by three from Isaiah Carr.

How it Happened:
After playing to a 21-21 tie, Denver went on a 6-0 run with 8:42 left in the first half to take a 27-21 lead. The Pioneers then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 38-37.

North Dakota kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 77-64 advantage before Denver went on a 5-0 run to shrink the deficit to 77-69 with 3:44 to go in the contest. North Dakota responded and outscored the Pioneers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 92-78. 

UP NEXT:
Denver will return home for two games next week, beginning with the first of two match-ups this season against South Dakota on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT. The midweek game in Hamilton Gymnasium will be broadcast live on Altitude 2 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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