DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program will close out its three-game homestand on Wednesday night when the Pioneers host Omaha inside Hamilton Gymnasium. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast on Altitude 2, the Summit League Network and 104.3 the Fan HD3.

LAST TIME OUT:

• North Dakota State raced out to an early double-digit lead and extended it to a 19-point win on Saturday afternoon inside Hamilton. FULL RECAP 

SERIES HISTORY – DENVER VS. OMAHA:

• Omaha holds a 13-12 lead in the series, but the Pioneers have won three of the last four between the two programs, including a 66-63 victory in the Summit League Semifinal a year ago in Sioux Falls. Denver is 7-6 at home against the Mavs in the series history. FULL HISTORY 

DEFENDING THE HOME FLOOR

• Since turning Division I in 1998-99, the Pioneers are 47-35 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).
• Denver is 5-3 at home to start the 2024-25 season.
• In the fourth season under head coach Jeff Wulbrun, the Pioneers are 30-19 on their home floor. 

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.
• Denver had 14 steals in an OT loss to Cal Poly on December 17, its first game against a DI opponent with double digit steals this season.
• Lee, who had his third 4+ steal game last time week at South Dakota, is 66th in the country and leads the SL in steals with 31 this season.

SHOGBONYO LEADING THE PIOS IN YEAR 1

• 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 leads Denver in scoring at 14.6 points per game, while pulling in 4.8 boards (team-high among active players) and just under 2 assists per game.
• Shogbonyo has had 15+ points in 12 of the last 16 games, and has grabbed at least four rebounds in 13 of the last 17 games.
• Shogbonyo is 18th in the country in free-throw makes with 90.
• Shogbonyo recorded his first career double-double (13-12rbs) at South Dakota on January 4.  

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 seven games this season, including three 20+ point games.
• Akins made his first career start on December 21 vs. Northern Colorado, scoring 12 points to go with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. 

ADDO-ANKRAH DIALING LONG DISTANCE

• Three-point sharp-shooter Isaiah Addo-Ankrah leads the Pioneers with 43 made triples on 96 attempts, good for 44.8% from beyond the arc.
• Addo-Ankrah is fourth in the Summit League and 92nd in the country in three-point makes with 42.

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 has turned it over 10 or less times in eight of the last 11 games.

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