DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program will open up its 2024 Big Sky/Summit League Challenge slate on Wednesday night when the Pioneers return home to take on Sacramento State. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. MT, and will be broadcast live on Altitude, the Summit League Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3.  

LAST TIME OUT:
Denver trailed by as many as 15 in the first half, led by as many 11, but fell in the program's first overtime game of the year by a count of 101-90 in 50 minutes in Portland on Sunday afternoon. RECAP 

SERIES HISTORY – DENVER VS. SACRAMENTO STATE:

• Sacramento State leads 4-1 in the series since Denver rejoined Division I in the 1998-99 season.
• The Hornets have won each of the last two meetings.
• Denver is 0-2 at home against SSU.

SPREADING THE SCORING

• Denver had six players score in double figures and no one score more than 15 in Denver's 97-80 win over Western Colorado on Nov. 8.
• DeAndre Craig led the Pios with 15, Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente scored 13, Sebastian Akins added 12 and Nicholas Shogbonyo, Isaiah Carr and Josh Lee all finished with 10.
• It was the first time Denver had 6 players in double figures since December 15, 2012 against Omaha.
• 12 years ago - Royce O'Neale had 17, Chase Hallam had 12, Chris Udofia scored 11, Brett Olson and Nate Engesser chipped in 11 and Cam Griffin scored 10.
• In DU's 2OT loss to Portland on Sunday, Denver had four different players finish with 16+ points.

LEGAL THEFT

• Denver recorded 13 steals in a win over Western Colorado on Nov. 8, the program's most since February 26, 2020 at Fort Wayne.
• Sebastian Akins and Nicholas Shogbonyo had 3 apiece to lead a group of five Pios with multiple steals.
• Josh Lee had five steals in the Pios loss to Utah Tech on Nov. 26, the first Pio with 5+ steals since Justin Mullins (6) in Feb., 2023.
• Lee ranks first in the Summit League and 55th in the country in steals with 17 this season.

DEFENDING THE HOME FLOOR

• Since turning Division I in 1998-99, the Pioneers are 47-32 in Hamilton Gymnasium.
• Denver has played in Hamilton full-time since the 2020-21 campaign.
• 2023-24 marked the first double-digit win season in Hamilton (10-4).
• In the fourth season under head coach Jeff Wulbrun, the Pioneers are 28-16 on their home floor.

SHOGBONYO HEATING UP

• Junior guard Nicholas Shogbonyo is in his first year of NCAA hoops after transfering from McLennan CC in the offseason.
• In 2023-24, Shogbonyo was the NTJCAC Co-Player of the Year and was an All-Region selection.
• He currently leads Denver in scoring at 12.9 points per game, while pulling in 4.8 boards and just under 2 assists per game.
• Shogbonyo has finished with 15+ points in five of the last six games, and has grabbed at least four rebounds in seven-straight games.
• Shogbonyo is sixth in the country in free-throw percentage, shooting at a 96.9% clip (31-32).

AKINS NCAA DEBUT

• Freshman guard Sebastian Akins put up 15 points off the bench in the Pios season debut at Stanford on November 4.
• Akins is the fifth Pio to post 15+ points off the bench in a season opener since Denver rejoined Division I in 1998-99.
• Akins is the first since Jase Townsend scored 16 off the bench as a freshman in November, 2018.
• Akins is the fourth freshman to post 15+ off the bench in an opener.
• Akins is the 3rd to do it against a DI opponent and the 2nd to do it against a Power5/4 opponent.
• Akins has 15+ points in three games this season.

TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL

• The Pioneers finished 35th in the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.0 turnovers per contest.
• Denver's 1 total turnover on November 17, 2023 against South Alabama was the lowest in DU's DI history.
• The Pioneers finished with single-digit turnovers in 17 games last season, including committing just seven in the 2024 Summit League Final.
• In a 50 minute game on December 1 at Portland, Denver turned it over just six times, its first single digit turnover game this season.

DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports. 
Like Denver Men's Basketball and Denver Pioneers on Facebook 
Follow @du_menshoops and @DU_Pioneers on Twitter 
Follow @du_mhoops and @DenverPioneers on Instagram