Box Score DENVER, Colo. - Denver's Chase Hallam converted a three-point play with nine seconds left in overtime to lift the Pioneers (6-9, 2-0) to a 72-70 victory over the UALR men's basketball team (8-8, 0-2) at Magness Arena. UALR sent the game into overtime when senior Alex Garcia-Mendoza hit a game-tying three pointer at the buzzer, but the Trojans committed four turnovers in the extra session and Chase Hallam scored five points in OT to lead Denver to its fourth-straight win.
Five different players scored in double figures in the win for Denver, led by 15 points from Brian Stafford. Denver shot 49.0 percent from the field on the night and made 11-of-26 three-point attempts (42.3 percent), while racking up 17 assists against just eight turnovers.
Senior Solomon Bozeman went 8-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 at the foul line on his way to a career-high 25-point performance for the Trojans. Junior D'Andre Williams was the only other player to score in double figures for UALR, finishing with a season-high 12 points off 3-of-5 shooting.
The Trojans shot 48.0 percent from the field in the loss, including a 6-of-12 effort from three-point range. UALR played to a +11 rebounding margin (34-to-23) on the night, led by six boards a piece from juniors Courtney Jackson and Eric Kibi.
UALR and Denver went back and forth for the majority of the first half, with the Pioneers pulling ahead with a 7-0 run down the stretch to break a 22-all tie. After Bozeman tied things up at 22-all with a jumper in the paint, the Trojans endured a 3:07 scoring drought, and Denver used a three pointer from Stafford to build a seven-point lead, 29-22. Down by seven, senior Matt Mouzy hit a three pointer from the corner with 31 seconds left to end UALR's dry spell and make it a four-point game at the break, 29-25.
Stafford led all players with 10 points at the break and hit two of the Pioneers' five three pointers in the first half. UALR held DU to a .423 field goal percentage over the first 20 minutes, but shot just 36.0 percent from the floor (9-of-25).
Denver found its shooting touch at the start of the second half, as the Pioneers made 4-of-5 from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range out of the locker room to take a 40-28 lead. Three different players hit a three pointer during Denver's 11-3 run at the start of the second half, the last of which came from Stafford to put DU ahead by 12 with 15:39 left in the game.
Down 43-33, UALR managed to cut its deficit to two points, 43-41, with a quick 8-0 run. The Trojans trailed by a single possession for the most of the remainder of the second half, but were unable to get enough defensive stops to even things up. Denver finally managed to get a little breathing room on the Trojans, pushing its lead to six points, 56-50, but Williams sank a three-pointer from the wing to make it a three-point game, 56-53, with 27 seconds left to play.
Chris Udofia made 1-of-2 free throws on the other end to put DU ahead 57-53, but Mouzy banked-in a three pointer from the wing to bring UALR within a point, 57-56, with 12.4 seconds to go. Trailing 59-56 after a pair of free throws by Stafford, Bozeman drew a foul on a three-point heave after crossing midcourt as the Pioneers tried to foul and prevent a game-tying three pointer. The Magnolia, Ark.-native went to the line with 4.4 seconds remaining and a chance to tie things up. He missed his first free throw but made the next two to make it a one-point game, 59-58
Leading by one, Travis Hallam went to the line with 2.6 seconds left and promptly knocked down both free throws to extend DU's lead back to three, 61-58. The ball got tipped out of bounds on the ensuing inbounds play, leaving UALR with just 1.1 seconds to get off a shot, but Williams inbounded the ball to Garcia-Mendoza and the El Fuerte, Mexico-native hit the game-tying three pointer as time expired.
UALR scored the first four points in overtime to take a 65-61 lead, buy Denver used three pointers from Udofia and Thalken to tie things up at 67-all. Down 69-67 after a layup by Chase Hallam, the Trojans took a 70-69 lead with 1:09 remaining on a successful three-point play by Kibi - UALR's last points of the game.
Both teams came away empty handed on their next possession, before Denver took the lead for good on Chase Hallam's three-point play with nine seconds to go. Down 72-70, UALR had the ball and a chance to tie, but Bozeman's potential game-winning three pointer from the wing was off the mark. UALR came up with the long offensive rebound but was unable to get another shot off, allowing the Pioneers to escape with a 72-70 victory.
UALR returns to action Wednesday night when it hosts St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m.
