Denver (10-6, 1-1) faced the Idaho State Bengals at Hamilton Gym in the Summit League-Big Sky Challenge. After a horrible first half giving up 46 points, 22 in the paint, it looked like Denver was headed to a startling loss to Idaho State (4-9). However, the nation’s leading scorer, Tommy Bruner, willed Denver back into the game in the second half and the Pioneers went a sizzling six for six from the field in extra time, two three-pointers from Bruner, to swamp the visiting Bengals.

The first half was a nightmare as the Bengals finished with a six-point lead, 46-40, while shooting 52% from the floor. The visitors scored 18 points off Pioneer turnovers and 14 second-chance points as a dazed DU team looked on. Denver looked lifeless for the entire 20 minutes of the first half.

The Pioneer malaise extended into the second half. The outlook was outright grim after the first five minutes following a 3-point make by Idaho State’s Trent Johnson which put the Bengals up by ten, 55-45. However, Denver began to slowly whittle away at the Bengal lead until a Deandre Craig three-point make with 10 minutes to go pulled Denver within a field goal, 59-57. Bruner put Denver on his back the final ten minutes at the line and from the field. Still, Idaho State held Denver at bay until 12 seconds remained in the half when Bruner finally  knotted the score on a free throw 75-75 and then, put DU up by a point. Each team scored in the waning moments to force the game to overtime.

Denver got the tip in overtime and Isaiah Addo-Ankrah drilled a three-point shot to begin DU’s 18-point overtime blitz. A Touko Tainamo bucket in the paint was followed by two three-point bombs from Tommy Bruner before Idaho State could find the scoreboard.  A three-point play by Pedro Lopez Sanvicente and a bucket in the paint by Sanvicente extinguished any hope the Bengals had in the five-minute extra period. Jaxson Brenchley capped the Denver scoring spree with a pair of free throws. Final score 95-82.

Ultimately, it was Tommy Bruner who stole the show and the win for Denver with an amazing stat line – 33 points (10/16 Field, 3/4 three-3-pt.), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Touko Tainamo had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Isaiah Carr scored 12 points and pulled down 6 rebounds.

Next up is a trip to Greeley to play Northern Colorado at 6:00 pm MT in the second game of the Summit League-Big Sky Challenge.