DENVER—A rough night at the free throw line for Denver was offset by the team’s pinpoint shooting from the floor punctuated by Brian Stafford’s clutch 3-pointer late in the game.
Stafford matched his season-high with 22 points, including a key 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining, and Denver hung on to beat Arkansas-Little Rock 62-57 Thursday night for its 14th consecutive victory at home.
Chase Hallam and Nate Rohnert each added 11 points for Denver (15-11, 8-7 Sun Belt), which weathered 13-for-30 shooting from the foul line to match its win total from last season.
“We shot terribly from the free-throw line throughout the game but we made them when we needed to and we got stops when we needed,” Stafford said.
Solomon Bozeman had 15 points to lead Arkansas-Little Rock (7-19, 3-12), which remained winless in 13 games on the road this season. Derrick Bails and Courtney Jackson added 11 points apiece for the Trojans.
Trailing by six at the break, the Trojans cut the deficit to 53-50 with about two minutes remaining when Matt Mouzy connected on 3-pointer. After a timeout, Stafford answered with a 3-pointer of his own from the baseline.
“We called a play and they knew exactly what to do,” Denver coach Joe Scott said. “We got our best shooter the shot that we wanted and he banged it home.”
Said Stafford: “There was a good pin-down screen and I was wide open when I took the shot. It was a nice little boost for us toward the end of the game.”
Arkansas-Little Rock turned the ball over on its next possession, triggering a fastbreak that Hallam finished with a layup and both Hallam and Stafford made a pair of free throws down the stretch to help nail down the win.
“I thought that was a big play in the game,” said Trojans coach Steve Shields. “Our guys showed toughness but you’ve got to give credit to Denver. They made some plays and they shot 50 percent from the floor.”
Scott said he was pleased with most aspects of Denver’s game—everything but the foul shooting.
“When you miss fouls, you embolden the other team,” Scott said. “We had nine turnovers. We moved the basketball well. I thought our defense was good but I’ve got to get on the foul shooting coach. He gets docked a day’s pay.”
And who’s the foul-shooting coach?
“Me,” Scott said.
