The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 M-W

By Linneya Gardner

The University of Denver defeated Purdue Fort Wayne for an 83-57 win during the women’s basketball game on Saturday Feb. 8. After a close game through halftime with a score of 41-34, DU continued to pull away in the second half, moving their record now to 10-14, and 4-7 in the Summit League.

It was a slow start for both teams, with no shot being made until a full minute into the game. However with the sound of the crowd’s cheering and the coach yelling encouragement, it was clear that DU would soon find their footing.

Senior Madison Nelson finished the first period with 12 of DU’s 21 points. She continued to be a contributing asset to the entire game, finishing with 25 points out of the team’s 83. She was the highest scorer of the game, both teams included, and has proven to be a value to the team even more in the points she scored.

Along with her 25 points, Nelson had 13 rebounds landing her with her 15th double-double of the season and 27th of her career. A double-double is “when a player reaches double figures (10 or more) in two of the five main statistical categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks,” according to jr.nba.com.

Nelson’s persistence showed through her performance in the game against Purdue, but she knew this game was more about teamwork than it was about individual successes.

“All along we knew we were the better team, we just had to start playing like it. And lately we’ve kind of been struggling and I knew this was one that we needed to win. Our team all encompassed that and knew that we needed to come together, and I think that really showed with our 20 assists,” said Nelson.

Assistant Head Coach, Kayla Ard, described how the team has been trying all year to get 20 assists per game. In the game against Purdue they ended with exactly 20 assists, their first time reaching that goal.

“We have been trying all year to get 20 assists per game and we actually got 20 assists tonight; that was huge for us. We want to share the ball, play together, make the extra pass and have a lot of good offensive sync where everyone scores and it’s spread out… We played together, so I told them I can’t wait to watch the film with them to show them how beautiful it was,” said Ard.

Hamilton Gymnasium, where the game was held, was filled with both Pioneer and Mastodon fans. The energy was high both from the crowd and the teams, making the game exciting and filled with good ol’ friendly competition. The smiles on the player’s faces were evident after each point scored and assist made, making it more enjoyable as a spectator to see them truly enjoying working together.

The Pioneers came off the court at halftime with an adrenaline high after Briana Johnson scored a 3-point buzzer beater. Going into halftime Ard wanted to make sure the team kept that same energy and was focused on making the second half the best part of their game.

“The last couple of games we’ve had good first halves but then not good second halves, so we really focused on that [at halftime]. So just going into the fourth quarter, playing forty minutes, finishing the game really strong and making sure that we came out and attacked them first and not let them attack us. We hadn’t done that in a while so that was fun,” said Ard.

The Pioneers’ performance met this goal in the second half, with the team securing a 62-43 point lead after the end of the third period, leading to their eventual win by 26 points. 

It was obvious that teamwork played a significant part in the team’s victory. Three other DU players also scored in double digits– freshman Uju Ezeudu, senior Lauren Loven, and junior Claire Gritt. Ezeudu had 12 points, Loven with 14, and Gritt with 10. 

Along with teamwork, motivation until the end was key for each player’s individual success as well as the success for the team.

“I think our coaches do a really good job motivating us and realizing that this is a game we needed to win but also not putting pressure on us but [telling us to] have fun out there. Our team really knew we needed to win this too, and I think we really came together collectively,” described Nelson.

DU will find itself in South Dakota Feb. 13, where they hope to carry game-winning energy against No. 2 South Dakota State. Then they will head to Omaha on Feb. 15 where they hope to make it a weekend of victory.