HIGH POINT, NC --Jordan Jones and Emma Smith combined to score 36 total points, but the Pioneers fell to the High Point Panthers 63-55 on the road Sunday.

Jones led the Pioneers (0-3) with 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Smith added 16 points and seven rebounds and Alaisha Brown chipped in as well with five points.

Led by Angelina Robles' four offensive rebounds, Denver did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in seven second chance points.

The Denver defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Sunday's game, forcing 14 High Point turnovers while committing 13. Those takeaways turned into 17 points on the offensive end of the floor. Jones' four steals led the way individually for the Pioneers.

How It Happened

After falling behind 5-0, Denver went on a 6-0 run with 6:56 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Robles, to take a 6-5 lead. The Pioneers then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 14-6.

The Pioneers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 26-11 halftime deficit.

High Point continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 36-18 advantage before Denver went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a three from Smith, to trim its deficit to 36-23 with 4:30 to go in the third. High Point countered and stretched its lead to 44-27 heading into the fourth. Denver played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.

Denver narrowed its deficit to 60-48 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Jones' layup, to shrink the deficit to 60-55 with 1:24 to go in the contest. High Point responded and outscored the Pioneers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 63-55. Denver took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 22 of its 28 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» Jordan Jones and Emma Smith carried the load for the Pioneers, accounting for 65 percent their points.
» Denver lost despite a 35-32 rebounding advantage.
» The Denver defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Denver cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Jordan Jones led the Pioneers with a game-high 20 points.
» Denver got a team-high eight rebounds from Jordan Jones.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.