DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program couldn't overcome a cold-shooting first half in a 105-86 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Saturday afternoon inside Hamilton Gymnasium.
LEADERS:
Cal Sate Fullerton had six players finish in double figures led by 20 by Josh Ward. Jeremiah Burke led Denver with 23 points, hitting five triples. Zane Nelson had 17 points, all in the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Half:
After Denver opened the game with a triple for the third-consecutive game, Cal State Fullerton responded by making their first three from beyond the arc to race out to a 13-5 lead in the opening segment.
The Pioneers missed 10 of their next 12 from the field sparking a 20-4 Fullerton run to push the Titans lead to 13 at the under-12 media.
Fullerton stretched its lead to as many as 21 with 9:11 to go before a Jeremiah Burke three ended another lengthy CSUF run. The visitors continued to pad their lead to 28 with under four minutes to play.
Back-to-back trips Denver got triples from Carson Johnson and Burke that gave Denver its first six-point spurt of the afternoon to cut into the deficit before the intermission. Fullerton took a 51-28 lead into the locker room.
Second Half:
Zane Nelson provided a spark to start the second half offensively, knocking down a pair of triples that included a four-point play and hitting three free-throws from the line after being fouled on a three to cut the deficit to 17 with 17:01 to go in regulation.
Fullerton answered with back-to-back triples of its own to extend its lead back out to 22 with 14:25 to go at the under-16. The Titans extended their lead to 82-56 with 10:30 to go to force a Denver timeout.
Denver scored 58 points in the second half on 57.9% shooting, but couldn't get stops on the other end of the floor in the 19-point loss.
NOTES:
- Graduate student guard Zane Nelson returned to the Denver lineup Saturday after missing the first two games of the week.
- Nelson finished with 17 points and 3 rebounds.
- Nelson finished in double figures for the third-straight game he's played in, the fifth time this season and the 31st time in his career.
- Nelson had all his points in the second half.
- Jeremiah Burke finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds.
- Burke finished in double figures for the eighth time this year and the 10th time in his career.
- Burke, who averaged 14 points per game in the first half in the first four games this season, had 16 in the first half on Saturday.
- Burke finished with 20+ points for the fifth time this season and of his career.
- Julius Rollins finished with 13 points and 4 rebounds.
- Rollins finished in double figures for the second-straight game, the fifth time this season and the 24th time in his career.
- Shaun Wysocki had 11 points and 3 rebounds.
- Wysocki finished in double figures for the third-straight game, and for the 15th time in his two-year career.
UP NEXT:
Denver will close out its four-game homestand on Tuesday night when the Pioneers welcome UCCS to Hamilton Gymnasium. Opening tip on the Summit League Network is set for 7 p.m. MT.
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