DENVER – The University of Denver men’s basketball program wraps up a two-game road swing in California on Tuesday when the Pioneers visit Cal Poly. Opening tip on ESPN+ and 104.3 The Fan HD3 is set for 8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT.
LAST TIME OUT:
DeAndre Craig led the Pioneers with 17 and Nicholas Shogbonyo tacked on 15, but the Pioneers three-game winning streak was snapped in a 74-59 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Sunday afternoon. FULL RECAP
SERIES HISTORY – DENVER VS. CAL POLY:
Denver won the first meeting in the series a year ago in Hamilton Gymnasium by a count of 97-76. FULL HISTORY
SPREADING THE SCORING
- Denver had six players score in double figures and no one score more than 15 in Denver’s 97-80 win over Western Colorado on Nov. 8.
- DeAndre Craig led the Pios with 15, Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente scored 13, Sebastian Akins added 12 and Nicholas Shogbonyo, Isaiah Carr and Josh Lee all finished with 10.
- It was the first time Denver had 6 players in double figures since December 15, 2012 against Omaha.
- 12 years ago – Royce O’Neale had 17, Chase Hallam had 12, Chris Udofia scored 11, Brett Olson and Nate Engesser chipped in 11 and Cam Griffin scored 10.
- Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Nicholas Shogbonyo combined for 40 of Denver’s 68 points in its Big Sky/Summit League Challenge win at Portland State on December 7.
- The Pioneers had six players with at least seven points in that 21-point win over Sacramento State in the first game of the challenge on December 4.
- DU also had six players with at least seven points in a 94-87 win over UCCS on December 10.
SHOGBONYO HEATING UP
- Junior guard Nicholas Shogbonyo is in his first year of NCAA hoops after transfering from McLennan CC in the offseason.
- In 2023-24, Shogbonyo was the NTJCAC Co-Player of the Year and was an All-Region selection.
- He leads Denver in scoring at 14.0 points per game, while pulling in 4.6 boards and 2 assists per game.
- Shogbonyo has had 15+ points in eight of the last 10 games, and has grabbed at least four rebounds in 10 of the last 11 games.
- Shogbonyo is second in the Summit League and 55th in the country in free-throw percentage, shooting at a 89.7% clip (61-68).
TAKING CARE OF THE BASKETBALL
- The Pioneers finished 35th in the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.0 turnovers per contest.
- Denver’s 1 total turnover on November 17, 2023 against South Alabama was the lowest in DU’s DI history.
- The Pioneers finished with single-digit turnovers in 17 games last season, including committing just seven in the 2024 Summit League Final.
- In a 50 minute game on December 1 at Portland, Denver turned it over just six times, its first single digit turnover game this season.
- Denver has turned it over 10 or less times in five-straight games.
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