DENVER — Brian Stafford scored 15 points and Chase Hallam added 14, including a three-point play with nine seconds left in overtime Sunday, to lift the University of Denver to a 72-70 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock.
Solomon Bozeman led the Trojans (8-8, 0-2 Sun Belt) with 25 points but had his potential game-winning 3-pointer blocked by Tyler Thalken as time ran out.
Arkansas-Little Rock took a 63-61 lead early in the extra session, its first lead since the 11:54 mark in the first half. Trailing 70-69, DU got the ball after a turnover by Bozeman. Hallam then scored on a layup, was fouled and hit the free throw.
Little Rock lost its fourth consecutive road game and is 1-8 in Denver. The Pioneers, winners of four straight, improved to 6-9 overall, 2-0 the Sun Belt.
Air Force 81, Florida A&M 48
AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Taylor Broekhuis scored a game- high 15 points to lead AFA.
The Rattlers missed their first 12 shots and went scoreless for the game’s first seven minutes as the Falcons raced to an 18-0 lead. Air Force also had a 16-0 run in the second half, leading by as many as 41 points.
It was the Falcons’ biggest margin of victory since defeating Prairie View 75-41 on Dec. 8, 2009. Avery Moore led Florida A&M with nine points.
Western New Mexico 80, Colorado Christian 79
LAKEWOOD — The Mustangs led for most of the second half, but the Cougars would not go away. Long-distance shooting by Rye Olson and Josh McBeth helped tie the score with 4:25 left to play, but it wasn’t enough.
With one second left, the Mustangs’ TJ Riley made the clinching layup.
Western State 64, Regis 56
GUNNISON — Weylan Towns scored 22 points to lead the Mountaineers (2-10, 1-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) over the Rangers. Chris Johansen led Regis (3-6, 1-5) with 20 points.
Metro St. 64, Mesa St. 61
GRAND JUNCTION — The Roadrunners held off a late run by the Mavericks to improve to 8-2, 5-1 RMAC, while the Mavericks slipped to 8-3, 4-3.
Reggie Evans scored 17 points to lead the Roadrunners, including five points in the final three minutes.
Area women
Pepperdine 66, CSU 43
FORT COLLINS — The Rams got off to a rough start, shooting 1-for-11, including six missed shots on one possession, and trailed by as many as nine points before connecting on their second basket of the game with 13:23 left in the first half.
The Rams turned the ball over 24 times, resulting in 10 steals and 25 points for the Waves. It was the first time a CSU player did not reach double figures since Feb. 18, 2009, when the Rams fell at Utah.
Air Force 80, Colgate 75, OT
AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Led by senior Raimee Beck’s first double- double (22 points, 10 rebounds) of the season, the Falcons overcame a 19-point halftime deficit to defeat Colgate in overtime at Clune Arena.
Ark.-Little Rock 49, Denver 46
DENVER — The Pioneers trailed 47-43 with 2:20 left to play when Quincey Noonan of Legacy High School drained a 3-pointer to bring Denver within one but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Metro St. 58, Mesa St. 53
GRAND JUNCTION — The unbeaten Roadrunners survived an 11-minute stretch in the second half when they went without a field goal as the Mavericks cut the lead to two at 49-47 with 3:41 left to play. But a 3-pointer by Roadrunner Kristin Valencia and two free throws by Emily Wood on the next two possessions stretched the lead to seven.
Denver Post staff & wire services
