Game #24: Denver (10-13, 5-7 SBC) vs. Florida Atlantic (5-20, 1-12 SBC)

Thursday, February 12, 2009 • 5 p.m. MT

FAU Arena (5,000) • Boca Raton, Fla.

           TV: None • Radio: AM 1510 • Web: www.DenverPioneers.com

About Denver: The Pioneers won three of their last five games, all against the top teams in the SBC. Denver is in a three-way tie for third place in the SBC West Division, a half game behind North Texas for second. DU is led by Nate Rohnert’s 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Rob Lewis is second on the team with 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.5 from the field. Brian Stafford also is averaging double figures at 10.7 points per game and is shooting 50.3 percent from the field, while Andrew Hooper leads DU by shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from beyond the arch, best in the SBC. Denver returns four players, including three starters from last year’s team that finished 11-19 overall and finished fifth in the SBC West with a 7-11 conference mark. Nine newcomers join DU’s roster this season.

About Florida Atlantic: The Owls are 5-20 overall and 1-12 in the SBC under first year head coach Mike Jarvis this season. FAU has lost 15 of its last 16 games, including a 13-game losing streak that started with a trip to Denver on Dec. 16. The Owls beat Louisiana-Lafayette 63-47 on Jan. 31 for the team’s lone SBC victory. Preseason All-SBC selection Carlos Monroe has been limited to just six games this season due to an early season suspension and a foot injury that kept him out of the past nine games. FAU is led by Paul Graham’s 17.8 points, which is second in the SBC. Shavar Richardson averages 12 points per game.

The Match-up: DU and Florida Atlantic are meeting for the fourth time with each team winning at home since the Owls joined the Sun Belt Conference in the 2006-07 season. The Pioneers beat FAU 66-55 at Magness Arena on Dec. 16. Last season, the Owls edged DU 70-68 in overtime in a “home” game in Boca Raton, Fla., at nearby Lynn University. The game was moved due to a debate among Republican presidential candidates held at FAU. Florida Atlantic and Denver are the top two teams in the Sun Belt in free throw percentages at 73.3 and 73.2 percent, respectively. They also rank first and second in three-point percentage defense, allowing just 31.4 percent (FAU) and 32.3 percent (DU).

Fountain of Youth: The average age of the Pioneers is 18.9 years old, making DU the youngest team in the country. Denver has no seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and eight freshmen on its roster.

Captain Rohnert: Junior Nate Rohnert is second in SBC games in assists (5.33), third in steals (1.68), eighth in scoring (15.8), ninth in field goal percentage (51.1) and assist/turnover ratio (1.73), and 12th in rebounding (5.6), while leading the SBC in minutes (38.5). In his last nine games, Rohnert is averaging 17.8 points and shooting 58.7 percent from the field.

Hoop Dreams: Redshirt freshman Andrew Hooper leads the SBC in three-point accuracy, hitting 48.9 percent from beyond the arc. That mark would lead the nation, but Hooper is five makes shy of the NCAA minimum of 2.5 per game. Fellow freshman Brian Stafford is third in the SBC at 42.4 percent from behind the arc, which would be 23rd in the NCAA if Stafford was above the minimum in makes.

Shoot the Moon: Denver is 18th in the nation with a 48.3 field goal percentage, which is also first in the Sun Belt. The Pioneers have shot 50 percent or better in seven of the past nine games, including 55 percent or better in four of those contests.

Rocky Road: Denver is looking for its first road win since beating Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tenn., during the SBC Tournament on March 5, 2006. The streak is now at 42 games, the longest active streak in Division I. DU’s last regular season road victory also was at Middle Tennessee, where Denver won 72-62 on Feb. 11, 2006. However, the Pioneers have won all three neutral site games outside of Denver during that same stretch: East Central (11/8/07), Morgan State (12/29/07) and Texas-Arlington (12/5/08).