DENVER, Colo. – Year two of the Kira Carter era got underway Friday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium as the Missouri S&T women's basketball team opened their season with an exhibition contest against the University of Denver. The Miners (0-0) led 47-45 through three quarters but the Pioneers (1-1) rallied in the fourth quarter to pick up their first win of the season by a score of 70-61.
 
Marta Durk (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) scored the first points of the day on a layup at 9:16 as S&T scored the first five points in a period that saw both sides struggle to find a rhythm early. Denver scored their first basket on a layup at the 4:32 mark to start a 7-0 run that gave them their first lead of the day. An Erin Puett jumper tied things up before UD hit a jumper of their own to make it 9-7. Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) drained a three on the next possession to make it 10-9 Miners before Denver scored the final four points to lead 13-10 after one.
 
Business picked up in the second quarter with S&T scoring the first four by way of Puett and Katelynne Roberts (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) who scored her first points in a Miner uniform at 8:34 and make it 14-13 S&T. Denver hit one of two free throws at 8:16 to tie things momentarily before Jada Lindesmith (Cincinatti, Ohio/Lutheran) hit a three to regain the lead for Missouri S&T. After a Keys layup, UD scored 10 of the next 12 points to lead 24-21 with 4:34 before the half. Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) and Durk scored the next two to swing things back in favor of the Green & Gold before Michaele Davis nailed a jumper in the paint to make it 27-24. S&T was able to add to that lead over the closing moments of the half and led into the intermission 30-28.
 
The Pioneers scored nine of the first 11 points to open the third quarter to lead 36-33 before Roberts and Durk broke the run with a pair of baskets to make it 37-36. After Denver retook the lead 42-39, Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) tied things with a trey of her own before Rodriguez connected from deep to retake the lead. The teams would each make one more basket in the quarter as after 30 minutes, S&T led 47-45.
 
In what was the highest-scoring period of the afternoon, opened the final period with a 5-0 run before another Rodriguez triple broke things up. Lindesmith tied things up following a UD turnover at 52-52 but the Pioneers retook the lead for good with a layup on their next trip down the floor. After a layup by the home team at 4:18 made it 61-54, Rodriguez again connected from three to get S&T within four at 61-57 but that would be as close as S&T managed to get in the closing minutes, as the Pioneers managed to hang on for the 70-61 win.
 
Rodriguez led the Miners with 18 points and added six boards and six assists while Durk finished with nine points, four assists and three rebounds. Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) scored eight points in her first action in two seasons while Puett added eight of her own along with six rebounds.  
 
The Miners will officially open their 2021-22 season Monday night at Gibson Arena when they host Blackburn in a contest scheduled for 6 P.M.