SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- The University of Denver women's basketball team battled late but ultimately fell to the St. Thomas Tommies, 65-74, in overtime in Saint Paul.

Coryn Watts and Laia Monclove led the offense with 17 points each. Monclova tacked on 10 rebounds to earn the first double-double of her career alongside six assists and three steals.

Brooke Murrell opened the scoring with a basket for Denver, but early foul trouble sent her to the bench and allowed St. Thomas to seize momentum. The Tommies used an 11-0 run to build a 13-2 advantage as Denver went scoreless for more than three minutes. A 3-pointer by Watts briefly halted the drought, but Denver endured another cold stretch and trailed 23-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Denver found its rhythm in the second. Monclova opened the quarter with a 3-pointer, and the Pioneers steadily chipped away. A 7-0 run cut the deficit to three as Denver held St. Thomas scoreless for nearly two minutes. A late three by Esparza and a Monclova basket pulled Denver within one, 34-33, at halftime.

The Pioneers carried the momentum into the third, as Watts converted a layup to give Denver a 36-35 lead. The teams traded baskets and lead changes before Baker knocked down a 3-pointer to give Denver its largest lead of the night, 48-44, with four minutes remaining in the quarter. Denver then went scoreless for more than two minutes, and St. Thomas closed the period on a 7-0 run to reclaim a 53-50 advantage.

St. Thomas pushed the lead to four early in the fourth, but Monclova answered with a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game. Both teams were held scoreless for more than two minutes before Murrell tied the game at 59-59 with two minutes remaining, and Watts missed a pair of free throws in the closing seconds, sending the game to overtime tied 59-59.

Free throws proved decisive in the extra period. St. Thomas built a four-point lead with under a minute remaining, then sealed the game with a late go ahead three with 17 seconds left. Denver was unable to respond and fell to St. Thomas, 74-65

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