Game #8: Denver (5-2) vs. Cal State Northridge (4-4)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 • 7 p.m. MT
Magness Arena (7,200) • Denver, Colo.
TV: None • Radio: AM 950 • Web: www.DenverPioneers.com (Video & Audio)
Individual game tickets also are on sale with prices ranging from $9-$15 for adults. DU students get into the game free with their Pioneer Card.
For ticket information, please visit DenverPioneers.com or call the Pioneer Basketball Ticket Hotline at (303) 871-HOOP.
About Denver: The Pioneers enter Tuesday’s game following a 64-59 defeat at Colorado State on Dec. 5, which snapped DU’s five-game winning streak. Denver returns nine players, including all five starters, and 98 percent of its scoring and rebounding from last year. DU was picked second in the Sun Belt West Division in the annual coaches’ preseason poll, and senior captain and guard Nate Rohnert was named to the Preseason All-SBC First Team.
About Cal State Northridge: The Matadors are 4-4 this season, winning three-straight games before falling 88-76 to No. 10 Washington on Sunday. However, CSUN is 0-3 on the road this season. The Matadors return three starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s team, which won the Big West Conference Tournament and nearly knocked off No. 2-seeded Memphis in the 2009 NCAA Tournament First Round. CSU Northridge was picked third in the Big West preseason poll. Kenny Daniels leads CSUN in scoring at 18.1 points per game, while Lenny Daniel is averaging 10.0 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game. The Matadors are first in the Big West in scoring offense (76.1 ppg), but last in scoring defense (80.8 ppg against), and are second in blocked shots at 3.1 per game.
The Match-up: Cal State Northridge beat Denver 80-53 last season in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Magness Magic: The Pioneers have won four-straight at home, following a season opening loss to Missouri Valley favorite Northern Iowa. Since Joe Scott took over as head coach prior to the 2007-08 season, the Pioneers are 25-7 (.781) at Magness Arena.
Be the Three: Junior forward Andrew Hooper hit his 75th career three-pointer on Saturday, leaving him just seven shy of 10th place on DU’s all-time list. However, teammates Kyle Lewis and Brian Stafford are right on Hooper's heels with 72 and 71 career three-pointers, respectively. Hooper, who went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc against Colorado State, is shooting 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from three-point range this season, increasing his career total to 47.6 percent.
Shooting Stars: According to the Dec. 6 NCAA national ranking summary, Denver has the fifth ranked field goal percentage in the nation. Only Syracuse (55.7 percent), Ohio State (52.4) and Murray State (52.1) have a higher percentage from the floor than DU’s 51.3 percent. The Pioneers are also ranked 17th in the nation with a 42.2 three-point field goal percentage. Although no DU player qualifies for the minimum in either individual category, Tyler Thalken (71.4), Sabatino Chen (61.5), Chase Hallam (60.0), Rob Lewis (56.3), Travis Hallam (55.6), Andrew Hooper (51.8 percent) and Nate Rohnert (51.6) all are shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
O Captain! My Captain!: Senior captain Nate Rohnert earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors last week after combining for 45 points in DU wins against Wyoming and South Dakota State. Rohnert’s 32 points against the Cowboys were the most by a Denver player since Yemi Nicholson scored 33 against Northern Colorado on Jan. 11, 2006. Rohnert has 40 assists, while committing just 10 turnovers this season, giving him a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, ninth among NCAA Division I players and the top ratio in the SBC.
Milestone Watch: Nate Rohnert is seventh on DU’s all-time career list with 274 and sits 27 assists shy of sixth place. Rohnert also has 277 career free throw made, one shy of Alex Sund for ninth on DU’s all-time list, and he is 10th with 390 free throw attempts. The senior captain has career totals of 969 points, 403 rebounds, 274 assists and 97 steals in 95 games at Denver.
Rocky Mountain Way: Eight of Denver’s 15 players hail from Colorado: Sabatino Chen (Louisville), Tom Chott (Littleton), Justin Coughlin (Yuma), Andrew Hooper (Lakewood), Kyle Lewis (Denver), Rob Lewis (Colorado Springs), Trevor Noonan (Broomfield) and Nate Rohnert (Parker).
Scott Signs Dallas Prep: High school senior Chris Udofia signed a National Letters of Intent on Nov. 11 to play for Denver beginning next season. Udofia, a 6-foot-6 forward, earned First Team All-District and District Defensive Player of the Year with Jesuit Prep High School in Dallas, Texas.
Transfer of Power: Sophomore forward Trevor Noonan joined the Pioneers this season after transferring from Air Force. Due to NCAA rules, Noonan will not be eligible to play until next season.
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