“[Former Head] Coach [Linda] Lappe left a very good foundation,” Haave said.  “In kind of a nutshell, we want to play hard, play smart and play together.  That’s what I am envisioning.”

Haave said that she does not plan to change the women’s basketball program significantly, stressing team play on both sides of the ball.

“There’s still going to be an emphasis on defense,” Haave said. “We want to be disciplined offensively, disciplined defensively, take care of the basketball, play team defense [and] play team offense.

Haave, who went 36-86 with USF, is looking for a new start to her coaching career.  Having learned from some notable Division I coaches, such as former University of Colorado at Boulder Coach Ceal Barry and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, she brings experience and her own belief system to Metro.

“I’m excited,” Haave said.  “We’ve got a great core group of players that are returning.  [They’re] a really great group of women that are here now, and the newcomers that are coming in.  I think the future looks bright.”

Junior guard Jasmine Cervantes feels confident in what Haave can accomplish.

“I feel like she knows the game really well,” Cervantes said.  “She’s just going to pick us up more on offense because I feel like our six returners that are coming back have a good sense of the type of defense we need to win games. She’s going to give us more of an edge offensively and she’s only going to give us more talent and more experience.”

Sophomore guard Kristin Valencia feels that playing under Haave will be a significant adjustment but feels hopeful about this upcoming season, since Lappe got a good start on recruiting before she departed for CU.

“I’m expecting a good team because our returners are good,” Valencia said.  “We’re close [as a team].”

Metro recently added three new recruits to their squad and managed to pick up some much-needed post help in 6-foot-3 freshman Chelsea Libonati.

“We have a 6-foot-3 player from Cherokee Trail [High School] here in Aurora,” Haave said.  “I haven’t seen her play that much; she’s got some great length. She’s got some good hands, an ability to get offensive rebounds, get some shots for us.”

Valencia and Cervantes are also excited to play with the new recruits.

“They all seem like they would all fit in really well,” Valencia said.  “We’ve seen a couple of them play.  I think they can contribute a lot to this upcoming year.”

Cervantes is confident that Libonati will adjust to the college game and contribute a lot to the team.

“She’s going to have to adjust to a whole different level of play, but I think she’s going to fit in just fine with us,” Cervantes said of Libonati.  “I played a little bit with her this summer, and she seems like a strong competitor. I’m excited for what she’s going to bring to the table.”

Despite the adversity that both Haave at San Francisco and Metro women’s basketball went through last season, there is reason to believe this upcoming season could be different for Haave at Metro.

“I think Metro’s going to be a tough team and a team to look out for,” Cervantes said.  “We might be the underdog team because we did struggle last year in our post.  Now that we have a new coach, she’s going to make us better.”

“There were some down falls with the team,” Evans said. “But we won games, and that’s what counts.”

Former men's basketball Head Coach Brannon Hays, center, attempts to rally his trailing team Feb. 20 during a timeout at Auraria Event Center. File photo by Leah Millis

Hays left Metro with a 98-27 overall record and an accompanying 61-15 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. He finished this past season with a 24-7 record, including 14-5 in the RMAC.

The Roadrunners also advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning the RMAC championship. Hays led the Roadrunners to three RMAC Tournament championships and two regular season tournament championships.

“We appreciate everything he did with us,” Athletic Director Joan McDermott said. “He was very successful. He did a great job for us during the time he was here. We appreciate his hard work.”

Hays guided Metro to its second-best record in school history in the 2008-2009 season, where he also captured RMAC East Division Coach of the Year honors.

“He was very successful,” Evans said. “We had the work ethic. We had the tools to win games.”

Hays left Metro for a ‘career advancement’ and on May 7 was named Mullen High School’s boys basketball head coach. He will also teach physical education at Mullen.

McDermott hired Derrick Clark as the new men’s basketball head coach June 3, as the seventh men’s basketball coach in school history.

“It’s very exciting,” McDermott said. “He was here for many years, the most successful years at Metro. He’s had five years at a Division I school and great experience working under a good coach.”

Clark used to be part of the Roadrunner coaching staff during eight seasons between 1997 and 2005; serving under Metro’s winningest coach, Mike Dunlap.

“I’m very excited,” Clark said. “It’s an environment that I’m very familiar with so I’m very excited.”

The Roadrunners won national championships in 2000 and 2002 with Clark on staff, posting a 227-40 record in eight years overall. Clark comes back to Metro after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He guided the Buffaloes to a 15-16 record in 2009 to 2010 under former Denver Nuggets Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik, improving from a 9-22 season in 2008 to 2009.

“It sounds exciting,” Evans said. “It sounds like he’s ready to win.”

Clark has many goals for the Roadrunner basketball program — not just on the court, but off the court as well.

“First and foremost, I want to make the guys on this current roster better,” Clark said. “Not just on the basketball stand, but academically as well.”

Clark played for an Australian professional team from 1995 to 1997 before coaching. Clark played under Dunlap at California Lutheran University, earning first-team all-conference honors and led his team to two NCAA Division III Sweet 16 appearances.

Metro guard Dante Nicholas drives on CSU Pueblo's defense during the RMAC Championships March 5. Photo by Luke Powell

“It was very impressive the way the guys came together, improved and how we finished the season,” said Head Coach Brannon Hays.  “We had our ups and downs, but they kept coming closer and closer together as a team.  The returners really stepped up and led the group, and the guys were buying in and working hard.  So, it was fun to be a part of it.”

Junior guard Donte Nicholas also took note of this past season.

“I felt like it was a good experience for the young guys coming in,” he said.  “We got 10 new guys this year, just to give them a taste of what it’s going to be like and what we’ve got to do to get to where we want to be next year, which is [to] advance to the next level [of the tournament].”

The first month and a half of the season was memorable.  Metro dominated at home and they were just as efficient on the road.  Nicolas, Brian Minor and Reggie Evans led the team on the court.  Meanwhile, freshman center Jonathan Morse blossomed into arguably one of the best freshmen in the RMAC because he adapted to playing Metro State basketball quickly.

“He delivered more than we expected,” Hays said of Morse.  “Coming in as a freshman post player, we didn’t know how many minutes he would play, and he ended up earning a starting position.  In my mind, he was the best freshman in the conference.  I thought he did a fantastic job.  He wants to be a good player, he wants to learn, his work ethic is tremendous [and] his attitude is fantastic.”

Men's basketball Head Coach Brannon Hays, center, attempts to rally his trailing team Feb. 20 during a timeout at Auraria Events Center. Photo by Leah Millis.

Metro got quite a scare Jan. 16 when they traveled to CSU-Pueblo.  The ThunderWolves rallied late, but Metro managed to escape with a 66-64 victory and hold onto their winning streak, courtesy of senior guard  Minor’s two game-winning free throws.
As of Jan. 23, the Roadrunners were 15-2 and on a nine-game winning streak until Colorado Mines came to the Auraria Events Center Jan. 29, snapping Metro’s streak.

Metro managed to rebound with a 76-64 win the following day against Colorado Christian and their obnoxious fans.
The Roadrunners continued to dominate, sweeping their Nebraska road trip against Nebraska-Kearney and Chadron State to improve to 18-3 on the season.

Their road to the RMAC tournament went good to nerve-racking the following weekend.  They dropped both road games against CCU, 66-80, and Mines, 69-78.  The players felt agitated, for a lack of a better word, in the days that followed.

Brian Minor goes to the basket against the Colorado School of Mines Friday Jan. 26, 2010 at the Auraria Events Center.

“As you go through the year, you up and down,” Hays said.  “You play a little better; you win a couple close games.  We won a couple games at the buzzer in December against quality opponents here at home, and it was good to get those wins.  We had a few bumps in the road when we lost at [Colorado] Christian and at Mines.  It was the first time we lost two games in a row as long as I can remember.  The guys really regrouped and came back strong the following weeks after that.”

Fortunately, Metro won three of their final four home games, beating Chadron State, losing to UNK and easily taking out Regis and UCCS, to improve to 21-6 and 14-5 in the RMAC.  Metro entered the 2010 RMAC tournament in Pueblo as a No. 2 seed.
Metro defeated UCCS in the opening round at the Auraria Events Center, 85-62, before traveling to the Colorado State Fairgrounds Center in Pueblo.  Ironically, Metro would square off against CSU-Pueblo in the semifinals.

Metro trailed the ThunderWolves, 23-22, with 5:47 left until halftime but regrouped to take a 36-28 lead at the break.  In the second half it was all Metro.  Metro shot 16-34 in the second half, eliminating CSU-Pueblo, 70-61.

The following night was arguably the RMAC game of the year.  Metro overcame a 19-point deficit to defeat New Mexico Highlands, 83-79, and to win the RMAC Shootout.  Metro outscored Highlands 39-19 in the final 12:28.  Metro entered the Central Region tournament as the five seed.

Unfortunately, Metro’s season ended in the opening round against St. Cloud State, 77-82.  Minor lost control of the ball and the Huskies recovered it and made a pair of free throws with 0.2 seconds left in regulation, eliminating the Roadrunners.

Metro men's basketball team bring all hands in for a cheer to end a timeout. Photo by Leah Millis.

“I actually feel pretty good, even though we ended the way we didn’t necessarily wanted to,” reserve center Shakir Johnson said.  “We made some really good progress, had 10 new recruits and we did well with them.  Hopefully, we’ll do better next season.”

This season was fun, frantic and insane.  The only question on everybody’s mind is this:  Can Metro clinch another RMAC title without Minor?  With the other four starters returning next season, chances look high again.

“The goal is to get better,” Nicholas said.  “[We’re] pretty much coming back with the same core group of guys.  Four out of the five starters will be back, so I see no reason for us to slow down.”

After a crucial loss in game six of the opening round of the Western Conference Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets not only left one of the most promising seasons in Nuggets history unfulfilled but also exposed critical uncertainties.

Disappointed by the monumental underachievement from the Nuggets, fans are left wondering,”what happened?”

Have the Nuggets reverted to their pre-Billups, one-and-done playoff selves, or was the absence of George Karl a larger leadership loss than originally expected?

On Feb. 16, two days after the NBA All-Star weekend, a concerned Karl announced to his team, and the basketball world, he had been diagnosed with throat cancer.

At the time of the announcement, the Nuggets were in second place in the Western Conference, behind heated rival Los Angeles Lakers, and held a four-game lead in the Northwestern Division over the Utah Jazz.

Karl returned to the Denver bench for a handful of coaching appearances while receiving treatments for throat cancer before surrendering the reigns to assistant coach Adrian Dantley.

Dantley, a former Jazz All-Star and an NBA Hall of Famer, led the Nuggets on a bumpy journey that saw them forfeit their second place positioning to the Dallas Mavericks, in a slide down the Western Conference standings that would land them in fourth place, not to mention tied with the Jazz in the division for first place.

Dantley led the Nuggets to an 11-8 record to finish the regular season at 53-29, a game behind their mark from a season ago. With the fourth seed, the Nuggets drew the division rival Jazz who they had gone 3-1 against in the regular season, and were missing their starting center and small forward.

Although Denver won the first game, the Jazz took three straight with players who were dismissed as scrubs, to put the Nuggets in a hole they could not climb out of in the end.

The breaking point of the series was a 114-111 home loss that the Nuggets were in until the end. Denver gave up the coveted home-court advantage to one of the best teams in the league, when it comes to playing at home.

With the home loss, the Jazz made it clear that the Nugs couldn’t win without Karl in Utah, taking both games in Utah and dooming Denver to a 3-1 deficit, not even touching their potential run at the finals.

The Nuggets proved that without Karl they lacked leadership and focus. Chauncey Billups did the best he could to lead the team and Carmelo Anthony stepped up his game in the playoffs, but the Denver bench showed up for two games in the series as Jazz coach Jerry Sloan showed his experience and out-coached the Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs.

Denver’s heart and soul does not lie with hometown hero Billups but with the man who assembled this Denver team.

Under Karl, the Nuggets were a championship caliber team ready to learn from its series with L.A. last year and knock off the defending champs.

With Dantley, the Nuggets proved to be a mediocre playoff team who could not beat a short-handed Utah team.

For the sake of Nuggets fans nationwide, let’s hope a healthy Karl returns to the bench next season to avenge this season’s underachievement.

“The people have been amazing,” Lappe said. “I work for two great people, President (Stephen) Jordan, who’s an amazing president, and also (Athletic Director) Joan McDermott, who does a great job managing our athletics department. Our players and everybody around Metro State have all been amazing.”

Lappe, 30, played basketball at CU for four years. From 2001-2003, she led the Buffs to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the elite eight in 2002.

“Colorado is my dream job,” Lappe said. “But it’s the only job that I would have left Metro State for. I’ve said that numerous times during the past three years. I had an amazing experience. I had a lot of fun and I just want to thank everybody in and around Metro State.”

Lappe guided Metro to a 17-12 record and 11-8 RMAC record this past season. Lappe was 50-36 during her tenure with the Roadrunners.

“I would like to thank Joan McDermott and Metro State,” Lappe said. “The last three years have been amazing. Leaving yesterday and talking to our players was extremely difficult and it’s something that you never want to do.

Senior guard Chelsea Williamson said the women’s team will miss how hard working she was. Lappe spent a lot of time recruiting for the team and brought in some good players. Williamson said Lappe was really competitive and it definitely rubbed off on the team.

“She emphasized a lot on being responsible, getting to class, being everywhere on time,” Williamson said. “Even as I finished playing basketball, I’ve been very responsible.”

The search for a new women’s basketball head coach will begin immediately, Athletic Director Joan McDermott said.

Metro 77 – St. Cloud State 82

The Metro men’s basketball team’s season came to an end with an 82-77 loss against St. Cloud State March 13 in Mankato, Minn. The Roadrunners finished the 2009-2010 campaign with a 24-7 record.

“I’m very proud of this team,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the win tonight. St. Cloud is a great team. [They] showed a lot of poise, a lot of character out there.”

In the first half, St. Cloud State went on an early 10-4 run before Metro stormed back with a 3-pointer by Metro guard Brian Minor to tie the game at 16 with 10:09 left. For the next 6:19, it was a battle. The score was tied three times before St. Cloud State went on an 8-3 run in the final 2:57. At halftime, the Huskies led Metro, 35-30.

In the first half, Metro shot 11-28 from the floor, including 4-10 from the perimeter and 4-6 from the free-throw line, to go with 13 rebounds and five steals. Meanwhile, St. Cloud State shot 10-24, including 3-10 from beyond the arc and 12-15 from the free-throw line. St. Cloud State also had 22 rebounds and five blocks, all of which came from St. Cloud State forward Andrew Bernstetter.

Metro guard Dante Nicholas drives on CSU Pueblo's defense during the RMAC Championships March 5 in Pueblo. Photo by Luke Powell

Metro had a chance to tie the game at 80, but the ball was stripped from Minor after the inbound pass and Metro was forced to foul.

“We were in a rough spot,” Minor said. “I made the biggest mistake I’ve made all season. It hurts a lot.”

In the game, Metro shot 24-52 from the floor, including 8-16 from the perimeter and 21-28 from the free-throw line.

The Huskies shot 24-49 from the floor, including 5-13 from the perimeter and 29-40 from the free-throw line.

St. Cloud State outscored Metro, 32-28 in the paint but were tied at 12 in second-chance points, and tied at nine in bench points.

“They (St. Cloud State) got the ball in the paint more than we did and they converted free-throws,” Hays said. “We had a couple timely turnovers, we weren’t making runs and they hit big shots.”

This game was Minor’s last game played in a Roadrunner uniform and was an unfortunate end to another great season. Despite Minor’s departure, the other four starters will return for yet another exciting season next year.

“It’s been crazy because I was the only senior on the team,” Minor said. “It’s been up and down, a little frustrating and a little rough. We had 10 new guys on the team. Other than that, it’s been a great experience. I’ve had fun, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Minor, a Clovis, Calif. native, started playing basketball when he was young, including playing two years at nearby Fresno City College prior to his tenure at Metro.

“I love playing the game, I love it more than anything,” Minor said.

Outside of playing basketball, Minor enjoys drawing, playing video games and hanging out with his friends and family.

Minor, a criminal justice major, has a very close relationship with his family. Going to school and playing basketball at Metro was not an easy road for him.

“This is my first time being away from home,” Minor said. “It’s my first time being out of state from California. So, coming all the way to Denver was definitely different. It was a big change for me. I definitely had a hard time with stuff back home. My family, and personal issues, and I had to deal with that being away from home, not being able to be there and help. Dealing with basketball and school.”

However, this did not prevent him from leading a young Metro team and establishing himself as one of the elite defenders in the country, averaging 2.6 steals per game in the 2009-2010 season.

“Minor was our only senior,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “He was one of our two team captains. I think he did a good job taking 10 new players under his wing. He did a fantastic job leading. He’s a great person, he really cares about people and he’s a tremendous worker on and off the floor. He sacrificed his game, in terms of scoring, for the team [by] getting other guys involved.”

Minor is still contemplating on whether or not he will continue to play basketball after college.

“Right now, I’m just trying to finish school,” Minor said. “After that, I want to continue playing basketball. I’m looking to play overseas somewhere. If not [basketball], I’ll probably head back home and be back with my family.”

Despite graduating, Minor sees much potential for Metro in years to come.

“This past year, we were definitely young and had a lot to learn,” Minor said. “We made it really far with 10 new guys on the team and only four returners, [including] two that played a lot last year. So, they’re really young and they have a really good future ahead of them for Metro State.”

The NCAA brackets are set, and with no clear favorite for the crown, the guessing has begun. Everyone knows the top seeds are forces to be reckoned with, but who else will make an impact during the March Madness?

In the Midwest region:

Kansas was rewarded the No. 1 overall seed. But they may have to face opponents such as Ohio St., Michigan St., Georgetown, Maryland and Tennessee. All of those teams had huge wins this season, and potentially could upset the top-seeded Kansas.

Tom Izzo, who is perhaps the most consistent tournament coach in recent history, leads Michigan St. The Spartans are not as strong as last year’s team (who made the Final Four), but with two wins could be facing-off with the Jayhawks.

Tennessee defeated Kansas earlier in the season, and had a big win against Kentucky en route to a 28-8 record. Maryland had been inconsistent in the beginning of the season, but has played well recently and won seven of their final eight games.

Georgetown lost five-of-eight near the end of the regular season, but made the finals in the Big East Conference Tournament after defeating Marquette, Syracuse and South Florida.

In the East region:

Kentucky is led by freshman sensation John Wall, who has averaged nearly 17 points, six assists and four rebounds per game. The Wildcats are a very young team, and are led by three freshman starters. The young team may have trouble responding if they fall behind to a team such as Texas or West Virginia.

Texas was the number one team in the country at one point this season and still has the talent to beat anybody. Kentucky may have trouble with UT in the second round, and may face the Cornell Big Red in the Sweet Sixteen.

Cornell dropped just four games during the season, including losses to Kansas and Syracuse. The Big Red led the nation in 3-point shooting and has seven-foot senior Jeff Foote in the paint. The combination could help Cornell advance to the Elite Eight and surprise a few fans.

In the South region:

Save and print for your own NCAA bracket

Choosing favorites before the bracket is released can be a dangerous game, as certain teams match up well against others. That being said, I don’t think Duke is the best team in the nation, but has the easiest path to Indianapolis and the Final Four. Duke’s toughest opponent may be Villanova, who after being in the top three dropped five of their final six games.

The Wildcats did play in the toughest conference during the regular season (Big East), so they should be tested and ready to play. But Duke still seems to have the easiest path.

The other teams in the South who could make an impact are Notre Dame and Baylor. The Fighting Irish were up and down throughout the season, but senior Luke Harangody has played great recently after experiencing a mid-season injury.

Baylor has been historically bad, and recently experienced internal problems. The Bears proved to be the third best team in the Big 12, and in the weak bracket has a great chance to advance to the Elite Eight or further.

In the West region:

Syracuse is a young team, but unlike Kentucky the Orange has the supporting cast with experience and ability.

The ’Cuse lost guard Jonny Flynn to the NBA in 2009, but junior Wes Johnson has played well all season and led his team to a Big East regular season championship. Senior Arinze Onuaku went down with a quadriceps injury in the Big East tournament, and his lack of presence will be felt by Syracuse.

The Orange will have trouble beating teams such as Pittsburgh or Kansas St., who are the two and three seeds in the region. K-State lost three times to rival Kansas during the regular season, but has played everyone else competitively.

The Wildcats defeated Baylor in the Big 12 tournament, as well as Texas and UNLV during the regular season. Expect K-State to challenge the Orange in the West, and perhaps make a Final Four appearance.

Metro guard Reggie Evans celebrates tying the score at 72 in the final minutes of the championship game of the RMAC Shootout held March 6 at the Colorado State Fairgrounds Events Center in Pueblo. Metro won the game 83­79 after scoring 50 points in the second half against New Mexico Highlands University. Photo by Cora Kemp • Special to The Metropolitan

The Metro men’s basketball team won the 2010 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout by defeating New Mexico Highlands University, 83-79. March 6 at the Colorado State Fairgrounds Event Center Metro overcame a 19-point deficit to win the title game.

“We’ve grown closer together,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “They are understanding each other and they’re communicating better. I see them competing for one another.”

After being down 58-39 with 15:44 left in regulation, their biggest deficit this season, Metro clawed back to tie the game at 75 with a three-pointer by senior guard Brian Minor as part of a 36-17 run.

“I think that was a timely shot,” Metro guard Donte Nicholas said. “We definitely needed it.”

With 1:13 left, Metro guard Reggie Evans made a crucial layup and Metro took their first lead of the second half, 77-75.

“I was like ‘it’s go-time’,” Evans said. “We were ready to play, [getting] positive feedback from the guys on the bench. It was a clutch basket. We had to make a play, so it was what I had to do.”

NMHU cut Metro’s lead to one, 79-78, with nine seconds left, but it wasn’t enough. Metro won the game, 83-79, clinching the RMAC Shootout.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Hays said. “Their composure, them hanging in there and just staying with it. We talked about it at halftime, chipping away one possession at a time. We were down [by] 19, we set some goals, [such as] ‘at the eight minute mark, we want to be this far back.’ The four-minute mark was a two-possession game. The guys just stepped up, made plays on defense, made plays on offense, hit free-throws, it was a battle.”

In the first half of the RMAC Shootout Championship game, it was all NMHU. From rebounding to shooting, NMHU outplayed Metro. NMHU went on a 32-19 run with 6:49 left in the first half, eventually extending their lead to 17, 45-28, with 1:26 remaining. Metro finished the half strong, but NMHU maintained the lead at halftime, 47-33.

In the first half, Metro shot 10-31 from the floor, including 11-15 from the free-throw line and a dreadful 2-10 from the perimeter. Metro also had six turnovers and 21 rebounds. Meanwhile, NMHU shooting was outstanding. They shot 17-37 from the floor, including 7-7 from the free-throw line and 6-18 from beyond the arc. They grabbed 22 rebounds and had only three turnovers.

Despite Metro’s poor first half performance, the second half was the best half they played all season. Three of NMHU’s five starters fouled out, giving Metro momentum.

In the game, Metro shot 25-63, including 15-32 in the second half. Metro also shot 4-18 from the perimeter and 29-41 from the free-throw line. Metro did not have any turnovers in the second half and had nine steals, four blocks and 46 rebounds.

Nicholas was named MVP of the 2010 RMAC Shootout. Nicholas, Evans and Metro guard Jonathan Morse were selected to the All- RMAC Shootout Team.

Metro enters the Central Region Tournament as the No. 5 seed and will take on St. Cloud State, the No. 4 seed, March 13 in Mankato, Minn.

The Metro women’s basketball team dug an early hole they could never escape from in the semi-final of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout March 5 against No. 4 Fort Lewis College.

The ’Runners were one of two teams to beat the 29-win Skyhawks, when they defeated them 75-65 earlier in the season.

It was a great start for Metro as they went up 6-0 and held FLC to 0-7 from the floor in the first four minutes.

From left: guards Jasmine Cervantes, Alyssa Benson, Erin Doherty and Leandra Sands provide cheers of support for the team during the first half of the RMAC Shootout semifinals against No. 4 ranked Fort Lewis March 5 at the Colorado State Fairgrounds Event Center in Pueblo. Photo by Cora Kemp • special to The Metropolitan

Fort Lewis controlled the rest of the half as they shot 50 percent from the field and forced Metro into 16 turnovers. When Metro did break the Fort Lewis press they missed several layups underneath the hoop, including four in the first half alone.

“You just can’t do that against good teams, you play the No. 4 team in the country and you break the press,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said.

It was a different team that came out of the Colorado State Fair Events Center locker room for the second half. Metro started with a 15-5 run in the first five minutes. Freshman guard Emily Wood scored 13 of the 15 points in the run including three layups and a 3-pointer.

“At halftime we said that we wanted to attack and get to the rim and my teammates gave me passes and got me to the rim” Wood said.

The deficit was down to six with 15 minutes remaining, but the ladies would not get closer as sophomore Jasmine Cervantes would foul FLC’s Lauren McCulloch on a 3-pointer and she drained all three foul shots. Metro shot 47 percent from the field in the second half. RMAC Player of the Year and FLC guard Allison Rosel was limited to eight points and six rebounds for the night. Fort Lewis shot 33 percent from outside and was outrebounded by Metro, 39-28.

The loss ended Metro’s season as they finished 17-12. Metro guard Kristin Valencia was named RMAC East Defensive Player of the Year and named to the east first team.

“I think the future is really bright, we had a lot of young players get some valuable experience and that’s going to help them going into next year,” Lappe said.

Women end game on 16-5 scoring run

Metro 59 – UCCS 47

Metro 55 – Mines 51

Winning five straight games is a great feeling for any team.

The Metro women’s basketball team won their fifth consecutive game during the first round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout when they defeated Colorado School of Mines 55-51 in Golden. The first round win came after the ’Runners defeated UC-Colorado Springs 59-47 Feb. 26 at the Auraria Event Center.

Metro began sluggish and found themselves down for most of the game.

From left, Metro guards Brandi Valencia, Chelsea Williamson, Kristin Valencia and Candice Kohn jog off the court after the Roadrunners' 59-47 victory over the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Feb. 26 at Auraria Event Center. Photo by Matt Gypin

“We started out slow, and were down big, by about 10,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said. “We couldn’t get anything going and we were lucky to be down by 10.”

The ’Runners were able to hang with Mines for most the game, but every time they cut the lead, the Orediggers would jump back out. Metro went on a 14-2 run near the end of the second half, and finally took a lead with about one minute remaining.

“[They] never gave up and were able to pull through at the end of the game,” Lappe said.

Lappe said the defense played better in the second half, and the strong defensive presence forced 22 Mines turnovers. “[We] played extremely hard and forced Mines into turnovers. It is promising to beat a great team like Mines when we didn’t play our best,” Lappe said.

The Roadrunners also won against UCCS Feb. 27 playing a strong first half, but had some scoring troubles.

“We were pretty sluggish offensively, [but] the D was good,” Lappe said about the first half.

The ‘Runners went into halftime with a four-point lead, and opened the second half with an 8-2 run. Several missed shots and turnovers by Metro allowed UCCS to stay close for most of the second, but they only held the lead once after the break.

Metro dominated the final seven minutes and finished on an 18-6 run. Metro shot just 36.7 percent from the floor, but held the Lions to a 22.2 shooting percentage in the second half (27.3 percent for the game). Freshman guard Brandi Valencia scored a team-high 14 points, while her sister Kristin scored eight points and grabbed 10 boards. Playing in their final regular season game, seniors Chelsea Williamson and Leandra Sands scored eight points each.

The team will play in the semifinal game against Fort Lewis, March 5 in Pueblo. The women haven’t won the RMAC Championship since 2005.

When you head to your job, you know you will have a level playing field. How would you feel if every day you went to work, you were at a disadvantage? For freshman women’s basketball player Brandi Valencia, that is her day.

Valencia, who hails from Moriarty, N.M., 40 miles outside of Albuquerque, decided to be a Roadrunner with her twin sister Kristin. The twins have played basketball together since the first grade.

“I like playing with her a lot, because we know each other,” Brandi Valencia said. “Even if we mess up we get on each other, but that’s how we are, it would be totally weird not playing with her.”

So how did two girls from a small town in New Mexico arrive at Auraria Campus?

“They offered me and Kristin a scholarship, and our uncle lives here so we would have family here,” Valencia said.

Valencia, who stands 5-foot-10, is Metro’s starting center and has to deal with the opponents’ center. Not that it is new to her.

“In high school I was the tallest on my team, so I guarded taller people,” Valencia said.

Metro women's basketball player Brandi Valencia. Photo by Will Morgan

Now she plays Division II basketball, which means guarding players like Regis’ Salina Kipers who stands 6 feet 5, or CCU’s 6 feet 1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leading rebounder Abby Rosenthal night in and night out. Every day in practice the coaches work with her on defense and positioning which makes up for the size disadvantage.

“In college they are so much better, and physical. I got used to it but it’s hard because they are so much stronger, [than high school],” Valencia said.

Early in her collegiate career, she was averaging just over five points per game. The new year brought new beginnings for Valencia and Metro. As she found her scoring touch, the Roadrunners have needed her points down to the stretch. She has led the team in scoring five different times and had a stretch of scoring in double-figures 11-of-12 games. She now averages 9.1 points per game and shoots just over 44 percent from the field. She also leads the team in free throws.

“In the first half we did have Ray [Bean] and Jalyssa [Caesar] and I didn’t have to score, but they left and I had to be more aggressive and the coaches told me to as well,” Valencia said.

As for her future goals at Metro, she wants to win an Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship, which could still happen this year since they play Fort Lewis March 5 in the RMAC Shootout quarterfinals. When not playing basketball, Valencia is a very good volleyball player, and she was part of two state championship teams in high school.

“I’m confident that we’re doing good,” forward Glenn Miller said. “We’re picking up our game, picking up our team play.”

Metro is not only going to Pueblo for the RMAC semifinals, but they have also defeated UCCS for the 37th straight time.

“We knew what we had to do,” junior guard Donte Nicholas said. “We came into the tournament and it didn’t really matter who we played. We played like [the way] we play [normally] and we were going to come out and execute like we did today.”

Head Coach Brannon Hays was fortunate.

“I’m just happy that we got a win,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “We’re going to play each game as a team. If you get too high or too low, depending on how you play, you’re going to be inconsistent through the playoff time. We want to get a little bit better. We’ve got a game coming up on Friday [March 5] and we want to play a little better than we did today.”

In the first half, Metro started the game strong defensively. Metro outscored UCCS 25-12 in the first 10 minutes. Metro attacked the paint and their defense was just as efficient. At halftime, Metro led UCCS 37-26.

Metro forward Glenn Miller, right, looks for an opening to the basket against UCCS March 2 at the Auraria Event Center. The men's team won 85Ð62, advancing to the semifinals of the RMAC Tournament. Photo by Jason Bahl

Metro shot 14-31 from the floor, including 5-9 from beyond the arc, but only shot 4-8 from the free-throw line. Metro also had 10 points off turnovers and outscored UCCS in fast break points, 9-0. Defensively, Metro had eight steals. Meanwhile, UCCS shot only 10-26 from the floor, including 2-6 from the perimeter and 4-8 from the free-throw line, but outscored Metro 14-12 in the paint. Reserve center Shakir Johnson and Nicholas had three blocks each in the first half.

In the second half, it was all Metro. The team continued to attack the paint, resulting in a 12-0 run to increase their lead, 61-39. By then, it was over. Metro won the game, 85-62.

Metro had an eight point lead about nine minutes into the game, and held UCCS to just seven points early on in the half. The Mountain Lions bounced-back with several jumpers and easy layups, and with 1:27 remaining in the first half took a two-point advantage.

The ‘Runners responded well and went into halftime with a four-point lead. They came out incredibly strong in the second and opened the half with an 8-2 run. Several missed shots and turnovers by Metro allowed UCCS to stay close for most of the second, but they only held the lead once after the break.

Metro dominated the final seven minutes and finished on an 18-6 run. Metro shot just 36.7 percent from the floor, but held the Lions to a 22.2 shooting percentage in the second half (27.3 percent for the game).
Freshman guard Brandi Valencia scored a team-high 14 points, while her sister Kristin scored eight points and grabbed 10 boards. Playing in their final regular season game, seniors Chelsea Williamson and Leandra Sands scored eight points each.

The ‘Runners will wait to see who they play in the first round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout. They will either play Colorado Mines or Colorado Christian on March 2.

The ‘Runners defeated the Mountain Lions 87-65 on Feb. 26 at the Auraria Event Center. Metro finished the regular season with a 21-6 record and 14-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Metro took a lead at the 10-minute mark in the first half, and extended it to four going into halftime. The ‘Runners shot just 40 percent and allowed their opponent to shoot almost 50 percent from the floor in the half.

The Lions went 6-11 from the line in the first, compared to Metro, who shot 12-14 (82.4 percent) from the line. Metro finished the game with 12 more made free throws than UCCS.

In the second the ‘Runners continued to shoot well from the line and improved their shooting percentage. They shot 53.6 from the floor and held the Lions to 40.9 percent, a reversal from the first half.

Senior guard Brian Minor led all scorers with 21 points, and added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior Donte Nicholas and sophomore guard Reggie Evans scored 18 points each, and the two combined to shoot 12-14 from the line.

Freshman forward/center Jonathan Morse achieved his second career double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.

Metro men’s basketball will play on March 2 at the Auraria Event Center in the first-round game of the RMAC Tournament.

The Metro women’s basketball team clinched a spot in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout after beating Regis University Feb. 23 at the Auraria Event Center. The team is now 15-11 overall, and 10-8 in the RMAC.

Metro guard Chelsea Williamson drives past Regis University forward Tae'lor Purdy in the second half of the Roadrunners' 70–41 victory over the Rangers Feb. 23 at Auraria Event Center. Metro clinched a spot in the RMAC tournament with the win. Photo by Matt Gypin

The Roadrunners jumped out to a 20-point lead at halftime, which is their largest lead of the season. Metro continued the intensity the whole match, winning the game, 70-41.

The Roadrunners also defeated Chadron State 60-45 Feb. 19 and topped Nebraska-Kearney 63-54 the following night.

“I think we played with more confidence,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said. “It’s really nice being at home, we really needed both games and need to follow up this week.”

The ’Runners bounced back after back-to-back losses to Mines and Colorado Christian. They played Chadron and UNK just two weeks before, and the experience helped them make the necessary adjustments to be victorious.

“UNK has the post, so we had to adjust how we guarded them,” said freshman guard Kristin Valencia. “[Against Chadron] we had to stop [Kaitlin] Petri; it was a must for us to win, and we did,” Valencia said.

Petri, a 5-foot-10 junior, is the Eagles leading scorer, and torched the ’Runners for 30 points in their last meeting. However, she was held to 2-of-9 from the floor Feb. 19, including 0-of-3 from three-point land.

The ’Runners jumped out to a 11-4 lead in the first six minutes, but slowed up a little bit and with about six minutes remaining in the first half leading by just four. Senior guard Chelsea Williamson played aggressive at the end of the half and kept Metro in the lead.

“The opportunity present itself … there really wasn’t a turning point,” Williamson said.

Despite failing to score in the final three minutes of the half, the ’Runners held a two point lead. The Eagles tied the game when the second half began, but Metro responded with a 15-2 run and never looked back.

Metro shot the ball well from the free-throw line, 12-of-14, while the Eagles were just 6-of-11. The ’Runners were out-rebounded in the first half, but came back strong in the second half and out-rebounded their opponent 21-to-16.

Williamson and freshman Brandi Valencia scored 13 points each, and sophomore guard Jasmine Cervantes scored eight points, all in the second half. Kristin Valencia led the team with nine rebounds, and her sister Brandi added four rebounds and three assists.

At the Pack the House event Feb. 20 UNK took an early lead, and controlled most of the first half. The Lopers held a 12-2 advantage about five minutes into the game, and led until four minutes prior to the end of the first half. Metro tied the score with a Williamson lay-up, and took a one-point lead after Brandi Valencia hit a free throw. UNK responded with a 3-pointer from guard Debi Johnson, but it would be the Eagles last lead of the game.

With less than one minute to play, Metro grabbed two offensive rebounds and held a three-point lead at the break. The ’Runners shot just 36.7 percent in the first half, but responded in the second by shooting 53.6 percent from the floor.

For most of the second half, Metro held a commanding lead, the largest a 12-point advantage with 13:53 remaining in the game. UNK cut the lead to one twice, but failed to tie or take a lead.

The ’Runners recorded a season-low seven turnovers during the game and only committed 10 fouls.

“We took care of the ball a little bit better,” Williamson said. “It was an accumulation of things,” she said about the low turnover numbers. “We can control the game if we keep turnovers down.”

The team is set to play their final regular season game Feb. 26 against UC-Colorado Springs at the Auraria Event Center

Metro 75 – UNK 77

Metro 85 – Regis 71

Metro loses by two points against UNK

The men’s basketball team was happy to be back home this past weekend after a rough conclusion to their final road trip.

After losing back-to-back games against Colorado Christian and Mines, Metro split at home. They defeated Chadron State, 69-48, Feb. 19, but lost to Nebraska-Kearney, 77-75, Feb. 20, which happened to be Alumni day.

Junior guard Donte Nicholas believes this homestand is critically important for Metro, due to the upcoming RMAC tournament.

“We always want to take care of business at home,” Nicholas said. “Metro State’s got a tradition where they don’t lose at home and we’re trying to hold that this year. We got a hiccup earlier (Feb. 12 and 13) and we came out and got a loss. They (UNK) were the better team today.”

Head Coach Brannon Hays also hopes to take advantage of the homestand.

“Every game’s important,” Hays said. “Right now, we’re fighting to get into the playoffs, we’re fighting for a home game [in the playoffs]. We’ve got a young group and we’ve got to learn how to win these types of games.”

The game against Nebraska-Kearney proved to be difficult for Metro. After leading UNK 43-34 at halftime, things fell apart in the second half for Metro on both sides of the court. Metro couldn’t capitalize on easy baskets, which was costly. Meanwhile, UNK launched three-ball after three-ball, shooting 17-22 from the perimeter, including 9-11 in the second half.

“That’s a lot of points that we gave up on the three-point line,” Hays said. “I thought our guys battled extremely hard, they attacked the glass. We need to make a couple more shots and play better on defense. We gave up too many easy baskets.”

Nicholas drained a critical three-pointer, with 24 seconds remaining, cutting UNK’s lead to two. Unfortunately, it was not enough and UNK won the game, 77-75. Metro missed two easy shots in the final three seconds.

“I think the intensity came down a little bit,” Nicholas said. “We weren’t guarding the three [point line]. They were hitting a lot of threes and that was the story of the game.”

Hays also took note of UNK’s perimeter shooting.

“No. 5 [Akeem Morissaint] stepped up, [shot] 9-11 on threes,” Hays said. “We knew those guys could shoot the ball, and we gave them too many comfortable looks.”

Metro was shocked by UNK’s performance.

“It wasn’t really something we were expecting,” Nicholas said. “When you’re playing a team that doesn’t have anything to lose, you’re going to let them hit shots from anywhere and that’s what they did today. They came out with a victory.”

Hays believes Metro should not overlook any team.

“Every team is capable of playing really well,” Hays said. “Kearney, hats off, played really well.”

The Roadrunners beat Chadron State 69-48 the night before. Metro got off to a rough start against the Eagles, but eventually regained the lead at halftime. With seven minutes remaining in regulation, Metro went on a 20-0 run to win the game.

“It was a good run,” sophomore guard Reggie Evans said. “We just came out, we were ready, we wanted to win the game and we figured we need to get the hump off our back. So we went after it and increased the lead.”

Metro will square off against UC-Colorado Springs Feb. 26 in the season finale.

Pack the House came from Athletic Director Joan McDermott and Assistant Athletic Director Ron Christian last year when Metro played rival Colorado Christian on national TV. The crowd last year was more than 1,700.

“We had such a strong response last year that we decided to do it again, and we really had another strong turnout,” Christian said.

Every year the ’Runners are one of the bottom teams in attendance in the RMAC. Prior to this game the ’Runners were only averaging 423 people. That is good for just eleventh best in the league.

“It’s a lot nicer than the other games; there are a lot more fans here and more participation,” said Chris ‘Spike’ Todd, who plays the bass trombone in the school pep band.

Metro student and former basketball player Marquise Carrington remembers what it was like to play in front of a huge crowd

“It’s a lot different,” Carrington said. “You just feed off the energy of the crowd. It allows you to build momentum and it helps you get easy baskets, and you get a little juiced up when you have a lot of people watching you.”

The crowd roared the loudest when Metro forced a jumped ball with 10 seconds remaining and down two. It was the loudest that gym has rocked in quite a while, which was nice to see for some.

“I never really got to pack the house as much as we wanted,” Carrington said. “We got new scoreboards and people to be involved with the team.”

At the end of the men’s game the mass exodus came as only 438 people stayed to watch the women play Kearney. In the first Pack the House night it was the same story, as only 475 stayed to watch the women play. So is there any chance that the women might play first next year on Pack the House night?

“We’ll do some evaluation and see if it makes sense to continue that,” Christian said.

Beside Pack the House, it was a special day for the community as Metro inducted five players and one team into Metro’s Hall of Fame. Lee Barlow, Devon Herron, Amy Leichliter, Ed Montojo, J.R. Smith and the 1989-90 men’s basketball team joined the 31 other individuals and three teams in the Hall of Fame.

If you missed Pack the House night and want to see Metro play, they host University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Feb. 26 to end the regular season. The day can be summed up by Carrington.

“I’m just happy and proud I’m a Metro State Roadrunner.”

Aren’t we all Marquise, aren’t we all?

Metro guard Donte Nicholas. Photo by Steve Anderson

Nicholas has been successful this season because he brings talent, athleticism and versatility to a young Metro men’s team.

“Donte is a very good talent,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “He’s extremely athletic; he’s a difference maker at times. He can do a lot of different things, very versatile, he can rebound, he can post up, he can play on the perimeter, he can shoot the ball and he can defend. There are a lot of things that he brings to our team. He’s got a very good voice.”

Sophomore guard Reggie Evans also took note of Nicholas’ time with Metro.

“He brings athleticism and he brings smart decisions on and off the court,” Evans said. “He’s just a great player and a great guy. I like hanging out with him.”

Nicholas has also taken the time to serve as a mentor to the younger players on the team.

Nicholas, a 22-year-old Washington, D.C. native, learned one must play with maximum effort at Metro every night.

“I learned you’ve got to bring it every night,” Nicholas said. “It’s not really about me, [it’s] about the name on the front [of the jersey]. They (Metro) got a rich tradition here, that you’ve got to bring it every night; the guys before us brought it every night. You can see the banners, so we’ve got to bring it every night.”

Prior to Metro, Nicholas only played one year of high school basketball.

“I got cut twice in high school,” Nicholas said. “I played my senior year, and I did all right, but I wasn’t recruited [at first]. I linked up with this guy in Maryland [Montgomery College-Rockville] and he said if I have a good year, they’d give me some [scholarship] money to go to school. That’s the number one thing I wanted to do was get money and go to school. I just took off from there. I guess I got a little bit exposure and ended up at Metro State.”

Nicholas, a sports industry operations major, with a minor in Marketing, enjoys sleeping, playing video games and watching basketball on television during his free time.

Nicholas hopes to pursue a professional basketball career, but has alternatives if it doesn’t work out.

“If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll definitely try to take advantage of it,” Nicholas said. “But if not, I’m going to get a degree in sports industry operations, so I can try to work in [sports] Marketing.”

Metro 58 – Mines 61 OT

The Metro men’s basketball team dropped back-to-back games this past weekend on the road. They are now 18-5 this season, including 11-4 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Metro lost at Colorado Christian Feb. 12, 80-66, and lost at Mines, 78-69, the following night.

Metro guard Donte Nicholas dribbles around Colorado School of Mines forward Gordon Galloway in the first half Feb. 13 at Lockridge Arena in Golden. The Orediggers won 78–69, moving into a first place tie with Metro atop the East Division of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Photo by Matt Gypin

“We came out and we were flat in the beginning [of the two games],” Metro guard Donte Nicholas said. “We can’t come out like that. We’ve got to come out with energy and enthusiasm. We were just a little flat and we were on the road, not getting any calls. So we’ve got to play through it and find a way to win on the road.”

This is the first time since November of 2007 that Metro lost back-to-back games.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well last night [versus CCU],” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “Tonight [versus Mines], we didn’t shoot free-throws well at all. Their teams [CCU and Mines] competed very well and we just came up a little bit short.” In the game against CCU, the Cougars hit the ground running, jumping to a 5-0 lead in the first 1:20. Metro had a brief lead at 14-12 with 12:24 on a layup by center Jonathan Morse.

Unfortunately, that was the last, and only, time Metro led the game. It was all CCU from there.

Metro trailed CCU, 43-31, at halftime, shooting 12-28 from the floor, including a dreadful 1-6 from the three-point line and 6-12 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, CCU launched three-ball after three-ball, shooting 6-14 from beyond the arc in the first half. CCU shot 15-26 overall in the first half.

In the second half, it was more of the same – poor shooting and turnovers.

Metro shot only 10-35, including 3-16 from the three-point line. However, Metro shot 12-17 from the free-throw line in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome their poor shooting. CCU shot 10-22, including 2-9 from three-point land and 15-22 from the free-throw line. CCU won the game with ease, 80-66.

In the game, Metro led CCU in points off turnovers, 24-21, second chance points, 16-8, and bench points, 20-15.

However, CCU

outscored Metro in fast-break points, 6-0. Both teams were tied with 32 points in the paint. Morse led Metro with 18 points.

In game two against Mines, it was déjà vu. Metro shot 26-68 from the floor, including 2-12 from the three-point line and 15-24 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Mines shot 18-50 from the floor, including 7-18 from the three-point line and an astounding 35-41 from the free-throw line.

“Mines shot very well on Saturday,” reserve center Shakir Johnson said. “We had a few defensive miscues and we’re going to do our best to correct it.”

Nicholas agrees with Johnson.

Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes drives the lane against Colorado School of Mines guard Stephanie Fogle during the fourth quarter Feb. 13 at Lockridge Arena in Golden. The Roadrunners lost 61–58 in overtime. Photo by Matt Gypin

“Everybody shoots better at home,” Nicholas said, regarding Mines’ shooting. “We shoot better at home, so we’ve got to come out and be at least a ‘10-15 point’ team better than what we are at home to win on the road, because everybody else is going to give their best games at home. They’ve got the crowd into it and everybody [the opposing players] is going to hit shots.”

Metro lost the game, 78-69. Guard Reggie Evans led Metro with 20 points off the bench, while guard Brian Minor scored 13.

“It’s always a good game against them [Mines],” Hays said. “They really battled, they played [well] together as a team. They’re very smart, they’re disciplined and they made free-throws.”

Metro tied the game at 55 with 7:56 left in regulation, but everything fell apart when Mines went on a 23-14 run to close out the game. Metro’s defense kept them in the game for a while, but their poor shooting ultimately cost them the game.

To add insult to injury, Mines is technically now the RMAC East Division leader because they now have the same conference record, 11-4, and they are 2-0 against Metro this season.

“We need to get back on track and play Roadrunner basketball,” Hays said. “[We need to] shoot 50 percent or higher on offense. Right now, our defense has dropped a little bit, so we’ve got to get back to that.” “We’re going to spend the rest of this week correcting our mistakes and do our best to recover,” Johnson said, regarding this past weekend.

Metro will go back to the Auraria Event Center for the final four games of the season on Feb. 19-20, 23 and 26.

“It [the home stand] means we get another chance to prove that we’re still one of the elite teams in our conference right now,” Nicholas said. “We’ve just got to get our swagger back and we’ll be alright. We’ll come home to the comfortable surroundings of home and it’ll help us play a little bit better. We’ll come out with a little [bit] of energy and get the crowd into it and get going [again].”

Shakir Johnson believes the home stand is crucial.

“It means a lot,” Johnson said. “We don’t lose at home and we have to make up for our losses last week. We’ve got to keep working hard and do our best to recover.”

The ’Runners dropped to 12-11 overall and 7-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

“We played two great teams, this was one of the toughest weekends for us,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said.

Despite the tough weekend, the team’s final four regular season games are at home.

“[We] are in good position going into the last four games,” Lappe said.

Metro guard Chelsea Williamson led the team with 23 points, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, but the ’Runners allowed CCU to shoot 82.4 percent in the second half. Metro could not keep up with the hot shooting, and struggled with a 37.9 shooting percentage throughout the game.

“We are in every game,” Williamson said. “We are not capitalizing and need to figure out how to finish.”

One-third of the teams’ shots came from three-point range, which may have contributed to the low percentage.

“Coach said to take the shot if it’s in our range,” guard Kristin Valencia said. “She [Lappe] always talks about getting more penetration.”

The team could not stop CCU’s Abby Rosenthal, who scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. She shot 67 percent from the floor and was important in propelling CCU to a 13-point lead in the second half.

The ’Runners were helped offensively by guard Brandi Valencia, who scored 13, and guard Alyssa Benson, who added 11 points. Kristin Valencia owned the boards, as usual, and had 13 rebounds to go along with eight points.

The ’Runners played much better the following night in Golden, but came up short in their first overtime appearance since Jan. 2008.

Metro was held to a 19.2

shooting percentage in the second half and failed to score a field goal in the overtime period.

“We need a little more fight,” Williamson said about the end of games.

The team played well in the first half, and led Mines by six. They shot well from the free-throw line, 10-12, and 40.7 percent from the floor. Metro played competitively throughout the second half, but found themselves down with less than three minutes remaining.

Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes, who hit the game winning shot against Chadron State Feb. 6, was once again clutch for the ’Runners. She scored two baskets in the last 1:31 and helped the team reach overtime.

Unfortunately for the team, they were unable to score from the floor after Cervantes’ basket with 1:10 remaining. Mines only made one field goal in overtime, but shot 7-of-8 from the line to seal the victory.

Williamson and Cervantes led the ’Runners with 14 points each, and Brandi Valencia added 10. Kristin Valencia was able to pull down eight boards, but she shot just three times during the game and scored only three points.

Metro is back at home this weekend, and is set to battle Chadron St. on Feb. 19 and University of Nebraska-Kearney Feb. 20 at the Auraria Event Center for Pack The House.

Metro 75 – Chadron 74

The Metro women’s basketball team finished in third place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and as January came to a close, they looked like a team headed for the postseason.

A weekend split in Nebraska kept the ’Runners in contention for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

The ’Runners were defeated by Nebraska-Kearney Feb. 4, 68-64, and stunned Chadron State 75-74 two days later.

“We played well as a team,” senior guard Chelsea Williamson said about the weekend games. “We learned from the first game and bounced back at Chadron.”

The team played competitively against the Lopers. With less than six minutes remaining, Metro held a 62-60 advantage. Guard Brandi Valencia scored on a fastbreak at the 5:11 mark, but it would be the ’Runner’s last bucket of the game.

Metro guard Chelsea Williamson looks for a teammate to pass to during their game against Mines Jan. 29 at the Auraria Event Center. The Roadrunners lost to Kearney Feb. 4, then beat Chadron State Feb. 6. File photo by Jason Bahl

UNK responded with an 8-0 run and Metro finished the game 0-for-7 from the floor.

“Our offense went stagnant at Kearney,” Williamson said.

She continued to say UNK switched to a zone at the end of the game, and the offense was unable to respond.

“We knew we had to step-up against Chadron,” Williamson said.

Williamson led the team with 16 points and had three rebounds. Guard Candice Kohn scored 13 points and shot 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line. Guard Kristin Valencia added 11 points, 13 rebounds (four offensive), four assists and three steals.

Against Chadron State Feb. 6, the ’Runners pulled off a last-second victory.

Down by one with only one second remaining, sophomore guard Jasmine Cervantes nailed a basket to give Metro the win.

“Coach executed a play to give me the ball and take the shot or pass it off to Brandi [Valencia],” Cervantes said.

The team executed the play perfectly and Cervantes was given the open look.

“I was happy to pull through for the team, but knew we had to get back on defense, there was no time to celebrate,” Cervantes said.

The ’Runners trailed the Eagles at halftime, but jumped out to a lead midway through the second. Metro started a 16-2 run early in the half and lead by 10 or more until the 6:01 mark.

For two consecutive games the ‘Runners have held a second half lead and allowed the opposing team to make a comeback.

“This was a confidence booster, a lot of games are close and this win will help us in the future,” Cervantes said. “[We] definitely have room to improve, and can over the next few games.”

Cervantes and Williamson led the ‘Runners with 15 points each. Cervantes added five rebounds and four assists, while Williamson pulled down four rebounds.

Valencia picked up her seventh double-double of the season, scoring 10 points to go along with 15 rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block.

Metro is 12-9 overall and 7-6 in the RMAC, and the ’Runners will be on the road again this weekend. They play Colorado Christian Feb. 12, and then travel to Golden Feb.13 to face off with the Colorado School of Mines.

In the game versus Nebraska-Kearney, Head Coach Brannon Hays made a risky decision to give forward Glenn Miller the start in place of the struggling guard Reggie Evans. In the three games prior to Nebraska-Kearney, Evans was only averaging 4.7 points per game. The decision worked, as Evans scored 10 points off the bench.

“We needed a change,” Hays said. “Reggie was forcing the issue a little bit on offense and he was putting too much pressure on himself, so we decided to bring him off the bench, let him relax a little bit and get back to being ‘Reggie.’ He did a great job with that this [past] weekend.”

Metro guard Donte Nicholas surveys the defense while driving the lane against Mines Jan. 26 at the Auraria Event Center. File photo by Jason Bahl

Hays hasn’t decided whether Evans will be back in the starting lineup in the upcoming games.

Metro had two turnovers in the first 57 seconds, resulting in Nebraska-Kearney scoring the first basket of the game. Unfortunately for UNK, this was their only lead of the game.

Metro extended their first major lead to 12, leading 16-4 with 13:38 left in the first half. At halftime, Metro led Nebraska-Kearney, 41-17, shooting 18-34 from the floor. Metro also had eight steals in the first half.

In the second half, Metro continued to attack the paint, scoring 42 points in the paint and 24 second-chance points by the end of the game. Metro won, 73-63.

In the game, Metro shot 29-61, including 6-9 from beyond the arc and 9-16 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, UNK only shot 22-66, including 9-30 from the three-point line and 10-21 from the free throw line. UNK also outscored Metro 20-15 in points off turnovers and 30-24 in bench points.

Two days later, Metro defeated Chadron State 83-67.

Evans came off the bench, once again, scoring 14 points. Metro guard Brian Minor led Metro with 18 points and six assists, while Metro center Jonathan Morse scored 16 points and had five rebounds.

“It was our defense without a question,” Hays said. “We turned both of those teams over quite a bit.

Metro will travel to Colorado Christian Feb. 12 and Mines Feb. 13 before coming back home for the final four games of the season, starting on Feb. 19. Mines broke the Roadrunners’ nine game winning streak Jan. 29, however they aren’t going to dwell over it.

“If we worry about Mines this Saturday [Feb. 13], chances are that CCU is going to beat us on Friday [Feb. 12],” Hays said. “So we got our full attention on the [Colorado] Christian game, and then once that game’s over, we’ll start to move toward the Mines game.”

Morse, 18-years-old, expects a lot to happen for the remainder of the season, as the coaches are continuing to push the team.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff ahead of us,” Morse said. “We’re working hard, the coaches are pushing us and they’re getting us to where we want to be.”

Morse, a business finance major, has a reputation as being a leader on the court and having a strong work ethic.

“Coming in as a freshman, he’s a big part of this team,” Metro guard Reggie Evans said. “He’s a leader on the team. With him being young, he makes really good decisions off the court and on the court.”

Metro men’s basketball center Jonthan Morse. Photo by Drew Jaynes

Head Coach Brannon Hays agrees.

“First and foremost, Jonathan is just a fine young man,” Hays said. “His character, his integrity, his work ethic, he’s exceptional. We’re fortunate to have him here.”

As a player, Morse also brings energy, youth and a good attitude to the floor.

“He’s a young kid, he’s just a sponge right now,” Hays said. “He wants to learn and be a good player. He’s just been very coachable.”

Originally from Boulder, Morse has been playing basketball since he could walk and has followed his brothers’ footsteps.

“Both my brothers played basketball,” Morse said. “They played at the same high school [Fairview High School] as I did. I’d go to their games and watch them play, watch them go up and down [the court], working hard ever since I was a little kid, trying to get better.”

Playing in a similar system, Fairview High, School has helped Morse adapt to playing basketball at the college level well.

“My brother was an assistant coach [at Fairview] and he played here [at Metro],” Morse said “There’s a lot of new stuff, but I already knew some of the stuff. It’s a lot more physical in the college level, a lot faster pace.”

This would pay dividends for Morse, who was named the starting center prior to the beginning of this season.

“He earned it,” Hays said. “He’s been very consistent, he picks up things quickly and he understands what we’re trying to do. He’s pretty talented.”

Morse has learned that adapting to playing basketball at the college level does not happen overnight.

Outside of playing basketball, Morse’s studies occupy most of his time. Morse is also considering professional basketball for a living, but is keeping other options open.

“If I have that opportunity, that’d be a great thing to do,” said Morse. “If not, I’d like to try to get into something in business.”

“Chelsea communicates with the players very well and has stepped up to the leadership role,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said.

She has learned from her experiences in high school and at SDSU and is now a starting guard for the ‘Runners in 2010.

Metro women’s basketball guard Chelsea Williamson. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu

Prior to playing for Metro the 5-foot-9 senior was a three-year letter winner in basketball at Boulder High School and played at SDSU for the 2006-07 season. While at Boulder, she played basketball, softball, participated in track and field and was a member of the Spanish and photography clubs.

Williamson lettered all four years at Boulder in softball and track and field. She participated on the leadership team for Faith Covenant Community Church of America.

In San Diego, she participated in basketball and track and field as a thrower. She transferred to Metro for the 2007-08 season.

“I was able to leave home and realize what I had and appreciate it, but I love Metro and it is a better fit for me,” Williamson said.

Williamson said she remains in contact with people from San Diego and loves her friends from there.

Williamson played limited minutes in a reserve role her first year as a Roadrunner and started almost every game during the 2008-09 season.

“Chelsea worked extremely hard after not playing much her first year at Metro,” Lappe said.

She scored in double-digits six times throughout the 2008-09 season and finished the year with an average of 6.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Williamson came into the 2009-10 season with three years experience and has used it to help the team to an 11-8 record. She and fellow guard Leandra Sands are the only two seniors on the team, but Williamson said the team is very close and years have not been an issue.

“We only have eight girls playing right now, so we don’t really see class,” Williamson said.

Her highest-scoring game so far this year was on Dec. 19 when the ’Runners played Montana State University at Billings. Against the Yellowjackets she scored 23 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists.

Although this was her best game statistically, Chelsea disagrees.

“No game stands out to me as my best this year,” Williamson said.

She approaches each game the same and through 19 games this season has averaged about 10 points, four rebounds and two assists per game.

The ’Runners can attribute some of their success to the ambitions they set at the start of the season.

“In the beginning of the year we set goals for ourselves, including making the NCAA tournament,” Williamson said. “Now that we can see the end and where the bar has been set, we are still shooting for our goal to make the tournament.”

The 2010 season will be the last collegiate year of basketball for Williamson, and she will begin to look at the future and what it may hold. She will graduate with a major in biology and minors in Spanish and chemistry. She would like to attend graduate school. She may stay on campus and pursue a physician assistant degree from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Williamson doesn’t have any plans of playing after graduation, other than recreationally with friends. The team’s next four games will be on the road, but Williamson can be seen in action Feb. 19 against Chadron State at the Auraria Events Center.

After three straight conference wins by the Metro women’s basketball team, the Roadrunners were confident going into Jan. 30’s game at the Auraria Events Center against Colorado Christian University. Even the combined 31 points courtesy of twin sister guards Kristin and Brandi Valencia weren’t enough to hold off the Cougars.

Metro’s main issue was letting CCU score off offensive rebounds. They gave up 12 offensive rebounds resulting in 11 points and nine points off turnovers. Through the entire game, CCU gathered 17 second-chance points.

Metro guard Alyssa Benson drives to the basket against Colorado School of Mines Jan. 29at the Auraria Events Center. Photo by Jason Bahl • jbahl5@mscd.edu

Even though CCU held a lead for a majority of the game, it was still very close throughout.

“I thought we played extremely well despite the loss,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said. “We had many different players step up for us at different times throughout the game, and we kept fighting until the end.”

The largest lead for the Cougars came early in the second half when CCU led by a mere eight points at 51-43. For the rest of the game, Metro kept the Cougars within striking distance, not being down by more than four points.

Kristin Valencia led the game in rebounds with 10, steals with four, and had two assists to go along with her very respectable 6-13 shooting. Astoundingly, this was also Valencia’s seventh straight game with 10 or more rebounds.

Though Metro shot a solid 40 percent from the field and played a great game overall, they couldn’t keep up with CCU’s phenomenal 49 percent shooting from the floor, led by CCU guard Brittany Long who scored all 15 of her points from beyond the arc. Long went 5-of-10 from 3-point range.

On the other hand, Metro destroyed CCU at the free-throw line.

CCU shot a measly 20 percent from the charity stripe. Led at the line by Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes, Metro shot a fantastic 85 percent from the line. Cervantes went 8-10 to complement her impressive stat line including 13 total points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Cervantes has stepped up as a great ball handler who puts up good numbers in all categories.

“There were numerous times where we could have folded but didn’t and therefore had a great shot to win it at the end of the game,” Lappe said. “The ball just didn’t bounce our way.”

Metro kept it close, going back and forth with the lead with about nine minutes left. Metro grabbed a 62-61 lead with about five minutes left in the second half but it would be their last, as CCU guard Bre McBath sunk a 3-pointer with three minutes to go, which would be the eventual dagger.

After a fight to the finish, the Roadrunners took a 68-71 loss.

Feb. 4, Metro heads east to play against University of Nebraska at Kearney, who currently has a 4-13 record overall.

Metro 65 – Mines 67

Metro 76 – CCU 64

Metro’s nine-game winning streak ended abruptly Jan. 29 against Colorado School of Mines, 65-67 at the Auraria Events Center.

“We came out flat,” Metro guard Donte Nicholas said. “To put it plain and simple, we didn’t come out with the energy we needed to. We can’t afford to take nights off because everybody is going to give us their best game, and we’ve got to be better prepared for this. We’ll take this loss, and we’ll learn from it.”

In the first half against Mines, Metro jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first 1:55. Metro then became sluggish defensively, allowing three-point shot after three-point shot. However, Metro managed to score 14 points off of turnovers to lead Mines, 30-28 at the half.

At halftime, Metro shot 10-24, including 9-11 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Mines was only shooting 9-22 as a team, including 5-22 from beyond the arc.

In the second half, the game turned sour for the Roadrunners. Metro shot 10-30 from the floor, including 13-20 from the free-throw line. Mines took advantage of Metro’s poor shooting by going on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 47 with 9:07 remaining.

Metro guard Brian Minor drives to the basket against the Colorado School of Mines Sean Armstrong Jan. 29 at the Auraria Event Center. The Orediggers beat the Roadrunners 67-65, breaking Metro’s nine-game winning streak. Photo by Jason Bahl • jbahl5@mscd.edu

Mines drained a three-point shot with 4:07 left to take the lead, 58-56. The Orediggers maintained their lead to win the game, 67-65.

“Mines played very well in the second half,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “They shot the ball well. Offensively, our goal was to get the ball in the paint, which we did. Unfortunately we missed 16 of those shots. We had a lot of good looks there, and we’ve just got to cash in on them.”

In the second half, Mines shot 13-24 from the floor and 22-46 overall, including 6-18 from the three-point line. Metro shot 20-54 overall and committed 12 turnovers. Nicholas led the team with a game-high 28 points and had four steals.

“We were over-rotating a little bit defensively tonight; we were getting out of position defensively at different times,” Hays said. “We’ve got to do what we do, play by our defensive rules, so we can get our stops and not give up easy baskets.”

Metro quickly rebounded the following afternoon against Colorado Christian University, 76-64, and was a career game for Nicholas.

Nicholas scored a game-high 36 points, shooting 11-15 from the floor, including 4-4 from the three-point line and 10-12 from the free throw line.

“Yesterday [Jan. 29], we just came out a little lack-luster,” Nicholas said. “We didn’t come out with the energy that we should have had. We’ve got to bring our ‘A’ game every game because everybody’s going to bring their ‘A’ game. Every game is a national championship game for them. When they won, you could see how they celebrated.”

Metro is now 16-3 this season, including 9-2 in the RMAC and will go on a four-game road trip, starting Feb. 4 at Nebraska-Kearney, before coming back home for the final four games of the season.

UCCS – 68

The Metro men’s basketball team won their ninth straight game Jan. 23 against UCCS, 81-68, and is now 15-2 this season, including 8-1 in the RMAC.

“We’re basically just trying to say that ‘we’re one of the top teams,’” Metro guard Donte Nicholas said. “We took it personally when they [RMAC] picked some other teams to be ahead of us. So, we’re just coming out, trying to make a statement. We’re a team to be reckoned with.”

Metro guard Donte Nicholas shoots over forward Glenn Miller during a morning practice Jan. 26 at the Auraria Events Center. Photo by Jason Bahl • jbahl5@mscd.edu

Metro guard A.J. Flournoy concurred with Nicholas.

“We’re just trying to come out showing that, even though people think we’re young, we’re still one of the top teams in RMAC to beat,” Flournoy said.

Metro struck first, jumping to a quick 5-0 lead in the first 39 seconds. However, Metro had trouble taking care of the basketball, resulting in two Metro turnovers and allowing UCCS to take the lead 12-9 with 15:21 left in the first half.

After a timeout, in which Head Coach Brannon Hays berated the team for their sluggish performance early on, the Roadrunners pushed themselves and retook the lead, 13-12, with 14:31 left. From that point on, they maintained their lead and never looked back.

Metro attacked the UCCS post and cranked up the defense, led by Flournoy’s four of the team’s five first-half steals. At halftime, Metro led UCCS 40-30.

“We’re a quality ball club,” Hays said. “We’re going to play unselfish team basketball and we want to be known for our defense. If we do those things, the winning and losing will take care of itself.”

In the second half, it was all Metro. Metro shot 14-27 from the floor, including 11-16 from the free-throw line and 2-5 from the three-point line. Despite Metro’s 10 turnovers, Nicholas scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half and had four steals. Metro went on to win the game, 81-68.

Once again, pressure defense was one of the main factors in Metro’s victory.

“It’s usually a factor most of our games,” Hays said. “We take opponents out of their rhythm, take them out of what they want to do and force them to make questionable decisions. I thought, in the second half, we did a much better job with that.”

In the game, Metro shot 25-56 from the field, including 4-10 from the three-point line and shot 27-34 from the free-throw line. Metro also outscored UCCS 17-14 in points off of turnovers and 16-10 in second-chance points. In addition, Metro’s bench outscored UCCS’s bench, 27-18. Meanwhile, UCCS outscored Metro 32-28 in the paint. UCCS shot 24-58 from the floor, including 6-18 from beyond the arc and 14-21 from the free-throw line to go with 15 team turnovers.

During their nine-game winning streak, Metro has picked up the pace on both sides of the court.

“We took it amongst ourselves to pick it up as a team, picking up the intensity, playing hard and playing with passion,” Nicholas said.

Similar to the game against CSU-Pueblo Jan. 16, Metro had a lead that gradually reduced, resulting in UCCS taking the lead at some point and then winning in the end.

“That just set the point that we can’t take anything for granted,” Flournoy said. “We’ve got to come out and play with effort and give it all every night.”

Metro will host Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University Jan. 29 and 30 at the Auraria Events Center.

Six Metro players scored in double figures against the Mountain Lions, and as a team shot 50.0 percent from the floor, as well as 63.2 percent from the free-throw line. The 90 points scored by the ’Runners were the most points scored in a single game this season.

Women’s basketball guard Candace Kohn, left, runs a defensive drill with Chris Daniels Jan. 25 during practice at the Auraria Event Center. Photo by Drew Jaynes • ajaynes1@mscd.edu

“We’ve done a real nice job moving the ball and passing to open up players,” Head Coach Linda Lappe said.

Defensively, Metro had more than 26 rebounds with nine steals and one blocked shot.

By the end of the first half, the ’Runners were already up by 10 points. Their lead grew up by 16 points at the beginning of the second half, and continued to expand until the final buzzer with a 90-68 win.

Metro guard Kristin Valencia had the biggest game of her career with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Valencia recorded her fourth double-double this season and has had 10 or more rebounds in four of her last five games.

“She’s been a pretty consistent player for us,” Lappe said. “She’s a quiet player. If you look at the stats, you don’t realize what she’s able to do. That’s a good thing. That’s a really good thing.”

Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes almost achieved a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Cervantes has been on fire the last six games, including hitting 5-of-10 from the floor in the win over UCCS.

Metro guard Brandi Valencia almost scored a double-double with 15 points and seven rebounds, one steal and Metro’s only blocked shot. Metro guard Alyssa Benson scored 14 points off the bench in just 23 minutes of playing time.

The true test will be their upcoming opponents Colorado School of Mines Jan. 29 and Colorado Christian Jan. 30 at the Auraria Event Center.

“They [Mines] are a very good team,” Lappe said. “They are talented, and a lot bigger than us. We’re going to have to neutralize them, take away strength.”

Both Mines and CCU are tied for first place at 6-3 in the RMAC, but two wins for Metro over Mines and CCU would make them the East Division Conference leaders within the RMAC.

“The biggest thing to realize is there are more games ahead of us,” Lappe said. “We’re just trying to get better as a team.”

Metro 97 – NMH 79

Metro 66 – CSUP 64

Metro 94 – Regis 75

The Metro men’s basketball team extended their winning streak to seven after defeating New Mexico Highlands, 97-79 Jan. 15, followed by a 66-64 win Jan. 16 against CSU-Pueblo. In doing so, Metro improved to 14-2 this season, including 7-1 in the RMAC.

Metro guard Reggie Evans surveys the court while forward David Thompson defends him during practice Jan. 19. Photo by Jason Bahl • jbahl5@mscd.edu

“We’ve always had confidence in the team,” Head Coach Brannon Hays said. “We’ve recruited some quality guys, very talented players. It’s just a matter of developing over the season. Every day, we’re getting a little bit better and we’re finding ways to win basketball games.”

Metro is now picking up the pace on both sides of the court and they appear to know how to win big games on the road.

“Before, we were just laid back,” Metro guard Reggie Evans said. “So, once we start picking up that pressure and start playing Metro State basketball, everything will start falling together.”

The game against CSU-Pueblo Jan. 16 proved to be a challenge for the Roadrunners.

CSU-Pueblo jumped to an early 5-0 lead in the first 2:42, until Metro gained momentum with a key steal by Metro guard Donte Nicholas, with 14:57 left, jumping to a 10-8 lead. The lead extended to 14, with 7:58 left in the first half.

The second half quickly went from good to nerve-racking. With 7:55 left, Metro and CSU-Pueblo were tied at 50. Two minutes later Metro center Jonathan Morse fouled out of the game with four points, which left reserve center Shakir Johnson to handle the post.

With 42 seconds left, Johnson fouled CSU-Pueblo forward Chris Busch, who nailed a critical three-point shot to cut Metro’s lead to one, 64-63, eventually tying the game with a free throw. By then, it looked like Metro’s six-game winning streak was in jeopardy.

Later, with seven seconds left in regulation, Metro guard Brian Minor was fouled and made two clutch-free throws to give Metro the lead, 66-64. In an act of desperation, CSU-Pueblo shot a three-pointer with one second left, which was no good and Metro won the game, 66-64.

In the second half, Metro improved their free throw shooting to 71.4 percent, though they only shot 44.1 percent overall.

In the game, Metro outscored CSU-Pueblo 32-22 in points in the paint, 13-10 off of turnovers and 10-0 in fast break points. Overall, Metro shot 26-59, but struggled from the free-throw line as a whole, shooting 9-19.
Despite shooting 19-51 from the floor, CSU-Pueblo shot 21-27 from the free-throw line, but they had 17 total team turnovers.

“I feel like if we just continue what we’re doing right now, we’ll be alright,” Evans said.

The Roadrunners also won 97-79 Jan. 15 against New Mexico Highlands, and 94-75 Jan. 19 at Regis University.

Metro will travel to Colorado Springs on Jan. 23 to take on UCCS.