Box Score SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The third-seeded Omaha men's basketball team erased a 19-point deficit but it was not enough Sunday night, as sixth-seeded Denver upended the Mavericks 78-70 at the Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals. The Mavericks close the conference tournament with a record of 18-13, while the Pioneers advance to Monday's semifinals with a record of 16-14.
Junior guard
Tra-Deon Hollins led UNO with 17 points, five rebounds, eight assists, seven steals and two blocks. Sophomore forward
Tre'Shawn Thurman added 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting plus four boards, and senior forward
Jake White had 14 points and four more caroms while hitting 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Senior guard
Devin Patterson rounded it out with 12 points and four steals for the night.
Denver's Joe Rosga scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 effort at the line. Marcus Byrd (14), C.J. Bobbitt (12) and Thomas Neff (10) also finished in double figures for the Pioneers.
Denver's 63 percent shooting made the difference in the first half, as Rosga hit 5-for-6 for the Pioneers en route to 15 points in the first 20 minutes. DU used a series of scoring runs -- including an 11-0 stretch from 4:07 to 1:21 -- to build its largest lead of 19 at 44-25. By the intermission, the Pioneers led 44-29.
Omaha started the second half with a 6-0 run on a layup and a 3-pointer from Thurman, plus a Patterson free throw, to trim the deficit to single digits. It started a 21-9 Maverick stretch that pulled UNO within three, 53-50, with 11 minutes to go.
Omaha took its only lead of the game when Hollins swiped a midcourt steal and lobbed a pass to Reed, whose two-handed flush capped a 7-0 run and put the Mavericks ahead 60-59 with 6:39 to play. The lead, however, lasted just 26 seconds, and UNO did not record another field goal for the next five minutes.
With the game tied 61-61, Neff made two free throws to give Denver the lead for good. DU hit 11-of-14 from the line in the remaining minutes to take the 78-70 win.
