DENVER, CO -
Mike Groselle scored a team-high 16 points to lead four Citadel players in double figures, but it was the University of Denver that came through with the 70-58 victory in front of 6,355 in attendance at Magness Arena on Thursday evening. Groselle was joined offensively by teammates DeVontae Wright(15 points), Lawrence Miller (12 points) and Cosmo Morabbi (10 points).
The Citadel shot 23-of-46 (50%) from the field, knocking down a Pioneer opponent season-high nine 3-pointers that shattered the previous high of four, set by Southern Mississippi on Nov. 17, 2011. Miller led the way with four 3-pointers, tying a career-high that he set against VMI (Nov. 11) at the All-Military Classic. Wright closed the contest with three treys, while Morabbi and Ashton Moore each added one from downtown. Meanwhile Groselle hit 7-of-9 from the floor and hauled in a game-high eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, to give the Bulldogs a 22-12 edge in points in the paint and a 26-23 advantage in rebounds. The Cadets fall to 2-9 overall in the process.
The University of Denver (10-2) took advantage of a 21-of-45 (46.7%) shooting performance that included 12 conversions from beyond the arc. Chris Udofia led all scorers with 19 points and added seven rebounds, knocking down five field goals and finishing 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Joining Udofia were Chase Hallam, Royce O'Neale and Brett Olson, who scored 10 points each. Olson capped off his performance with three 3-pointers and was one of six different Pioneer players hit a shot from beyond the arc. The Pioneers also took advantage of 15 Bulldog miscues to close with a 27-14 edge in points off turnovers.
Denver opened the second half of play with a 14-5 run that was highlighted by a pair of Travis Hallam 3-pointers, pushing their lead to 51-24 at the 15:53 mark. The Citadel quickly retaliated with an 8-0 run that included a pair of long distance shots by Miller and Morabbi to make for a 51-32 lead.
Continuing to scratch their way back into the contest, the Bulldogs took advantage of a jumper by Bo Holston and the second 3-pointer by Miller to cut the lead to 54-37.
Leading 60-45 at the 5:17 mark of the second half, O'Neale buried the fifth Denver 3-pointer of the second stanza to extend the lead 18. The Citadel regrouped following a 30-second timeout and scored 15 of the game's final 22 points over a 4:24 span, led by Morabbi who scored five down the stretch.
The Bulldogs allowed just one field goal in that stretch, a second 3-pointer by O'Neale, and sent the Pioneers to the line on four different occasions. Denver staved off the rally and emerged with the decisive 70-58 victory.
The Citadel knocked down 8-of-18 (44.4%) field goals in the opening frame, led by Groselle's eight points. Groselle was successful on 4-of-5 field goal attempts, while Wright was the only other Bulldog with multiple field goals (2-4). Both made field goals by Wright were 3-pointers, as the Cadets finished 3-for-8 from beyond the perimeter. The Dogs also crashed the glass for 10 rebounds, including a team-high three for Groselle.
Denver countered with a 13-of-25 (52.0%) first-half shooting performance, six of which came from beyond the arc. The tandem of Udofia (12 points) and Chase Hallam (10 points) led the way for the Pioneers offensively. Udofia led the team by hitting 4-of-7 from the field along with four free throws. Chase Hallam closed out the half 4-of-5, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range and was one of three Pioneer players to have two treys. Udofia was also a key rebounder, grabbing four boards as the University of Denver finished with 12 in the half.
The Bulldogs offense opened strong in the early going, taking advantage of four points by Groselle and a 3-pointer off the hand of Wright to assume a 7-3 lead at the 17:17 mark.
Denver answered with a brief 6-0 run that took less than one minute, which included a 3-pointer by Olson, to assume a 9-7 lead. Morabbi answered for the Bulldogs with a layup on a pass from Holston, knotting the game at nine all, before the Pioneers rattled off the next seven straight to jump in front 16-9.
A Barry Smith pass found Groselle in the post for a layup to end the 3:04 scoreless span for The Citadel, making for a five-point deficit. After a Denver score in the post, Wright converted his second shot from downtown to make for the 18-14 Denver lead.
Chase Hallam stretched the UD lead back to seven before a Miller 3-pointer made for a 21-17 score. The Bulldogs then turned to their defense, forcing a Rob Lewis turnover, which allowed Groselle to score a layup and trim the lead to two points with 5:14 remaining in the frame.
Denver closed out the half on a 16-0 run, including seven points by Stafford and five by Udofia, and headed into the break with a 37-19 advantage.
The Bulldogs return to action on Dec. 29 when they head to the University of Tennessee for a meeting with the Vols. Game time in Knoxville, Tenn. is set for 7 p.m.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WCSC, a Raycom Media Station. 
