The new-look Denver Pioneers.
No more 3-point field goals or bust. With an astonishing 46 points scored in the paint, DU pulled away in the second half for a 68-54 Summit League victory Wednesday night over Western Illinois, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The Pioneers (8-10, 2-3 Summit League) finished with a 26-15 advantage in field goals made, shooting an impressive 56.5 percent. Guard Cam Griffin had a double-double with a team-leading 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The performance drew only 1,003 fans into Magness Arena on DU’s return home from a two-game road trip and the student section was empty.
Western Illinois (7-9, 2-3) stayed in the hunt and trailed 43-40 on Mohammed Conde’s layup with 11:12 to go. But a layup on the other end by Daniel Amigo started the Pioneers on an 11-2 run that turned tide.
“We made a little adjustment on how we were running our offense,” DU coach Joe Scott said. “We worked on our passing and cutting this week in practice. As I told the team, every now and then, the coach knows what he’s doing. Getting layups are easy points and it takes tons of pressure off our offense.”
The easy points weren’t the only unusual part of DU’s game against the Leathernecks. The Pioneers also had a 33-20 rebounding advantage.
“Part of our game plan was to reduce their 3-point consistency,” Western Illinois coach Billy Wright said. “They have players who can spread your defense out on the floor. The downside is we gave up too many points inside.”
DU guard Jalen Love was happy with the execution.
“If you get that many points in the paint, you’re bound to win,” Love said. “We stayed with the adjustments we made during the week and it helped us win the game.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
