DENVER -- The University of Denver women's basketball team rallied in the third quarter, but ultimately came up short, falling 56-60 to the St. Thomas Tommies on Saturday afternoon in Hamilton Gymnasium. 

Jocelyn Medina led the Pioneers' offense with 13 points, and six rebounds while Laia Monclova added 11 points, 7 rebounds and three assists. 

St. Thomas opened the game with a quick basket, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to jump out to an 8–2 lead. Denver struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the opening minutes, going scoreless for over two minutes as St. Thomas capitalized with a 7–0 run. A layup by Medina stopped the drought, and the Denver defense responded by holding St. Thomas scoreless for more than two minutes, but the Pioneers couldn't fully close the gap. Both teams endured extended scoring lulls late in the quarter, with Denver trailing 14–6 after one.

In the second quarter, Denver began to establish itself inside, battling in the paint and cutting the deficit to 17–12. Strong defensive pressure kept St. Thomas off the scoreboard for nearly two minutes, and a Monclova three capped a 7–1 run to pull Denver within three. Medina followed with a three of her own to make it a two-point game at 20–18. Despite stifling the Tommie offense and playing with increased energy, Denver went into halftime narrowly behind, 23–22, with Watts held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season.

Momentum swung after the break as both teams traded threes to open the third quarter. A layup by Ana Conde gave Denver its first lead of the game at 27–26, and the physical play intensified on both ends of the floor. Buckets went back and forth, but Denver edged ahead midway through the quarter and then put together a 6–0 run to claim its largest lead of the game at 40–35. Back-to-back steals and finishes fueled the surge, pushing the advantage to 46–37 and giving the Pioneers significant momentum heading into the final period.

St. Thomas responded quickly in the fourth, cutting the lead to 47–43. Denver then endured a scoring drought, going more than five minutes without a basket as St. Thomas rattled off a 9–0 run to tie the game at 49–49. Medina broke the tie at the free-throw line, and a deep three from Baker reignited the crowd and extended Denver's lead to 54–49. The closing minutes were filled with fouls and back-and-forth possessions, but St. Thomas regained the lead at 57–56 with just over a minute remaining and sealed the game at the line. Denver trailed 59–56 with 16 seconds left and ultimately fell, 60–56.

UP NEXT: The Pioneers welcome the Omaha Mavericks to Hamilton Gymnasium on Wednesday at 6 p.m. MT

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