DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program will wrap-up the opening weekend of Summit League action on Saturday night when the Pioneers and Coyotes meet at 6 p.m. MT inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The game will be streamed live on the Summit League Network and 104.3 the Fan HD3.

LAST TIME OUT:

• Denver came off its 12-day holiday break rusty in the first half, before scoring 50+ points in a half for the first time against a DI opponents since last season in the second, but it wasn't enough in a league-opening loss at SDSU on Thursday night. FULL RECAP

SERIES HISTORY – DENVER VS. SOUTH DAKOTA:

• South Dakota holds a 15-9 advantage in the Division I series and a 17-10 edge in the series overall that dates back to 1909. USD has won seven of the last 10, but the Pioneers have won three of the last four. Both games went to overtime last season, including the 111-110 double overtime classic in Hamilton Gymnasium last January. FULL DI HISTORY

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.
• Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Nicholas Shogbonyo combined for 40 of Denver's 68 points in its Big Sky/Summit League Challenge win at Portland State on December 7.
• The Pioneers had six players with at least seven points in that 21-point win over Sacramento State in the first game of the challenge on December 4.
• DU also had six players with at least seven points in a 94-87 win over UCCS on December 10.

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 ranks second in the Summit League and 107th in the country in steals with 24 this season.

CRAIG NAMED TO PRESEASON SECOND TEAM

• Sophomore guard DeAndre Craig was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team ahead of Media Day on October 8.
• Craig and South Dakota State sophomore guard Kalen Garry are the only two underclassmen across the two preseason teams.
• Craig played in all 34 games in his freshman campaign, averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game, while adding 85 assists against just 40 turnovers to go with 35 steals.
• In Denver's three Summit League Tournament games last year, Craig finished with 13 points in the quarterfinal win, 15 and 5 assists in the semifinal victory and 12 and 7 helpers in the championship game against South Dakota State.
• Craig, along with teammate Isaiah Carr, represented the program at the 2024 Summit League Basketball Media Day in Sioux Falls.

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 leads Denver in scoring at 15.3 points per game, while pulling in 4.7 boards and just under 2 assists per game.
• Shogbonyo has had 15+ points in 11 of the last 13 games, and has grabbed at least four rebounds in 12 of the last 14 games.
• Shogbonyo is third in the Summit League and 65th in the country in free-throw percentage, shooting at a 87.5% clip (77-88).
• Shogbonyo is 17th in the country in free-throw makes with 77.

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 37 made triples on 83 attempts, good for 44.6% from beyond the arc.
• Addo-Ankrah is third in the Summit League and 89th in the country in three-point makes with 37.

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 seven of the last eight games.

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