Pioneer Hot Shots Down South Dakota, 83-80

Denver shot 67.3 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point range in the victory

BROOKINGS, S.D. – The University of Denver men’s basketball team shot 67.3 percent from the field to beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 83-80 on Saturday night at Frost Arena.   

“South Dakota is a very, very good team, very well coached. What our guys did was show a lot of resolve on the road to hang in there and never let the game get away from us,” head coach Joe Scott said. “We played about as perfect of an offensive game as we could. Now we just need to make sure we get better defensively.”

Denver hit 33-of-39 shots from the field (67.3 percent), the fourth best single game performance in DU history and the best since hitting 76.2 percent on Feb. 12, 1988. The Pioneers also made 9-of-14 from three-point range (64.3 percent).

Senior captain Nate Rohnert (Parker, Colo.) and sophomore guard Brian Stafford (Walnut Creek, Calif.) scored 13 points each for the Pioneers, while freshman guard Chase Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) and junior forward Andrew Hooper (Lakewood, Colo.) both had 11 points.

The Jackrabbits (2-4) held a six-point lead with 9:07 remaining in the game, but the Pioneers charged back with an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead, when Chase Hallam hit a backdoor layup with 6:23 on the clock.

Sophomore guard Travis Hallam (Mesquite, Texas) and junior guard Kyle Lewis (Denver, Colo.) hit back-to-back layups to give the Pioneers a seven-point lead with a minute remaining in the game.

South Dakota State hit a jumper and a three-pointer in a 17-second span to cut the DU lead to two points, and a free throw cut the lead to one.

Stafford went to the line with 11 seconds remaining and hit both, and Denver held on.

Junior forward Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) returned to the lineup for the first time this season after suffering from a stress reaction in his leg, and scored eight points, pulled down three rebounds and added two assists in only seven minutes of action.

In the first half, Denver hit 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the field and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from three-point range, but the Jackrabbits took a 36-35 lead to halftime.

The Pioneers return home to face Lamar at Magness Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. MT.