The Denver Pioneers wrapped up their nonconference schedule Tuesday with a 4-9 record — and perhaps more importantly, a 2-game winning streak — as they won 73-55 over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, in a game that was actually far more lopsided than the final score.
“This sends us off to Christmas Break the right way,” said Coach Joe Scott after the game. (Hence my use of the Santa photo above — which, incidentally, is published with permission of SID Mike Kennedy; backstory here.) The Pioneers have an eight-day break before their next game, also at home, on December 30 against Sun Belt foe Louisiana-Lafayette, kicking off the conference season.
“I’m happy for our guys because obviously they needed the success; we all did,” Scott added. “And hopefully we can use this as a springboard as we head into the league.”
Travis Hallam had his third consecutive career high with 18 points on 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Overall, the Pioneers shot 58.5 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range, while holding the Pine Bluff to just 19-for-45 and 2-for-9.
Denver had not previously won consecutive games all season. The non-conference slate, which Scott designed to be difficult but perhaps not quite this brutal, began with an 0-for-3 start in back-to-back-to-back games at the BTI Invitational in Oregon, followed by a home loss to Colorado State. A win over hapless Alcorn State put DU in the win column at 1-4, but then consecutive losses at Boise State and at home to Utah State dropped the Pioneers to 1-6. After improving to 2-6 with a home win over Cal State Northridge, the Pioneers dropped three straight — at St. Mary’s, vs. Portland and (perhaps most disappointingly) at Wyoming — to fall to 2-9.
But now, Denver’s players can go home for the holidays with a good taste in their mouths, at last, having followed up their breakthrough performance against Northern Colorado on Saturday with a dominating win over an — admittedly bad and exhausted — Arkansas-Pine Bluff team. (This was Pine Bluff’s eleventh consecutive road game to start the season, seven of them against above-the-Red-Line opponents. The Golden Lions are 0-11 against that murderer’s row of “guarantee games.”) Denver led by as much as 33 points midway through the second half, before surrendering a good chunk of that lead as bench players came in.
Scott said he was pleased, as in the Northern Colorado game, to see almost everyone on the floor contributing substantially to the winning effort. He said the Pioneers are finally growing into their roles, developing into the players the coaching staff thought they would be. He also praised them for showing more “attention to detail” on defense.
“We look like a completely different team today and Saturday [in the win over Northern Colorado]” compared to just a short time ago, Scott said. And indeed they do. Here’s a video interview with Scott after the game:
I’ve missed the last two home games, but fully intend to be there on December 30 for the conference opener. In the mean time, Merry Christmas from DU Bally and me!
We’re starting to see that DU is learning, and players are starting to step up and play well. I think DU still has the talent to be very good at home in SBC play. Can they win road games in league play? Huge question mark right now. Being able to win some road games is a huge step in program development, and this year’s league road slate should be very interesting to see if Joe can get them over that hump.