DENVER  – The seventh-seeded University of Denver men's basketball team will play in its second conference tournament title game in its Division I history on Tuesday night when the Pioneers tangle with top-seeded South Dakota State in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Tipoff on CBS Sports Network and 104.3 The Fan HD3 is set for 7:30 p.m. MT.  

The winner of Tuesday night's championship game will secure the league's automatic bid for the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and will wait until Sunday to find out its tournament draw.

SERIES HISTORY:
In Denver's modern Division I history (1998-present), South Dakota State holds a 22-6 lead in the series, including 19-3 since the Pioneers joined the Summit League in 2013-14. The Jackrabbits have won both of the previous postseason meetings between the two teams, defeating the Pioneers 54-53 in the 2016 Summit League Semifinal and 83-73 in the 2017 Summit League Quarterfinal. The two programs split lopsided games this season. The Pioneers won 99-80 in Hamilton Gymnasium on January 13, before SDSU returned the favor 97-70 on February 22. Overall, in a series that dates back to 1969-70, SDSU holds a 23-7 advantage.

LAST TIME OUT:
Denver's backcourt duo of Tommy Bruner (23) and DeAndre Craig (15-5) paced the Pioneers to a 66-63 victory over sixth-seeded Omaha on Monday night at the Denny. The win made Denver the third seven seed to advance to the Summit League title game, and the first since 2005. The Pioneers also won a conference semifinal for the first time since 2005 (Sun Belt Conference). FULL RECAP

DENVER IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT:
The Pioneers are 5-8 all-time in the Summit League Tournament, including 3-7 as the underdog. Prior to this season, Denver's last win in the league tournament came in double overtime against Oral Roberts by a count of 90-88 in the 2018 Summit League Quarterfinal. The Crimson and Gold's two other wins in the tournament came against Omaha (2016 quarterfinal) and South Dakota (2014 quarterfinal). Denver is now 1-3 in the semifinal round of the Summit League Tournament after Monday's 66-63 win over Omaha.

In conference tournaments in the modern Division I era overall (Sun Belt, WAC and Summit League), the Pioneers are 14-21 in the postseason, including 7-15 as the underdog. Denver is now 2-7 in the semifinal round overall with the program's lone prior trip to the championship game coming in the Sun Belt Conference in 2005. The Pioneers lost that 2005 title game to Louisiana Lafayette by a count of 88-69.

BRUNER LEADS DENVER IN NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS:

• Tommy Bruner ranks first in the country in points per game (24.2), seventh in free-throws made (208), third in field goals made (255), 84th in assists (139) and 67th in three-point field goals made (81).
• Touko Tainamo ranks 72nd in rebounds (255), and is also tied for 85th nationally in double-doubles with eight.
• Isaiah Carr ranks 35th in the country in blocked shots (59).
• Denver is 22nd in the country in free-throw attempts per game (23.3) and 17th in free-throw makes per game (17.1).
• As a team, the Pioneers are 25th in scoring offense (81.4) and 39th in turnovers per game (10.1).
• Bruner was held without a point in Denver's loss at St. Thomas, missing most of the second half. The game snapped a streak of 32-straight games in double figures for the fifth-year senior.

RECORD WATCH
CAREER RECORDS: POINTS: Bruner (1307), tied with Nate Rohnert (1307) for 9th. Tainamo 14th (1091), 9 behind Rob Lewis for 13th. FREE THROWS: Bruner is 2nd with 354, 25 behind Nate Rohnert for the record. REBOUNDS: Tainamo is 4th (623), 3 behind Wahhab Carter for 3rd.  

SINGLE SEASON: POINTS: Tommy Bruner passed Yemi Nicholson (2005-06) for the modern DI record in a season on Feb. 8 at South Dakota. On Feb. 16 vs. North Dakota, Bruner passed Matt Teahan (1978-79) for the all-time record. Bruner sits at 799. FIELD GOALS: Bruner is 1st (255), passing Yemi Nicholson on Feb. 29 vs. Kansas City. FREE THROWS: Bruner broke Nate Rohnert's DI record on Feb. 1 and Vince Boryla's (1948-49) all-time record on March 9 for free-throws made (currently has 208). REBOUNDS: Tainamo has 255 boards for 4th-most, 6 behind Yemi Nicholson (2004-05) for 3rd. ASSISTS: Bruner has 139 dimes for fourth, 7 behind Nate Rohnert for third. BLOCKS: Isaiah Carr became the fourth different Pio to record 50 blocks in a season, currently sitting at 59, good for seventh-highest in a season, 7 blocks behind Eric Dow (1998-99) for 6th.

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