GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado owned a double-digit lead with just a little more than 11 minutes to play, but visiting Metropolitan State University Denver embarked on a 12-0 run to get back into a game it would eventually win, 87-83, Thursday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball action at Paul Wright Gym.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: MSU Denver def. Western, 87-83
Records: Western 4-5 overall (2-1 RMAC), MSU Denver 2-7 (1-2)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Mountaineers took what would be a long-lasting lead only two minutes into the first half when Aiden McDowell hit a jumper from just outside the key for a 7-5 Western lead.
- The advantage never grew to double digits over the remainder of the half, but also never dipped under a five point advantage, eventually allowing the Mountaineers to take a 45-36 lead into the halftime break.
- McDowell was dominant in those first 20 minutes, scoring 26 of the team's points, but the Roadrunners will building an edge off the glass, 21-12, that would come back to sting Western over the final 20 minutes.
- Early in the second half a Jordan Kuac 3-pointer from the left corner finally pushed the lead into double figures, 48-38, and at the 11:45 mark a McDowell steal and fast break layup would push the gap to 15, at 67-52.
- A couple of turnovers and several missed shot followed, though, while the Roadrunners were picking up the pace during their 12-0 run that pulled them within one basket, Â 67-64.
- Kuac hit another trey to finally end the Western shooting drought, and soon after, Mason Mottashed dropped in a 3-pointer from the left wing to push the lead back up to seven (73-66).
- MSU Denver went on another run, reeling off eight unanswered points to take a lead, 74-73, for the first time since the opening minute of the game.
- Western would tie the game at 75-75, at 78-78, and at 80-80, but a pair of consecutive baskets by the Roadrunners after that last deadlock nearly iced the game.
- The Mountaineers would get back within a point, 84-83, but would be held scoreless over the final 47 seconds as MSU Denver would escape with a four-point victory.
COURT NOTES
- McDowell led all scorers with 33 points, including five 3-pointers, and got help from Quincy Scott (12 points), Kuac (11), Tyler Halligan (11) and Mottashed (10) who all reached double figures for the Mountaineers.
- The MSU Denver trio of Logan Threatt (21), Quave Propst-Allison (18) and Garrett Falls (15) countered Western's five that reached double digits.
- The rebounding issue from the first half continued into the second half, with the Roadrunners eventually carving out a 35-22 edge off the glass and getting 15 second-chance points and accumulating 38 points in the paint during their win.
- Western would finish the game shooting 56 percent to MSUD's 48%, but the Roadrunners would go to the free throw line eight more times than did Western, and would earn a seven-point advantage overall from the charity stripe.
UP NEXT
Western will try to get back on the winning track with Saturday's RMAC game at 3 p.m. against visiting Regis University.
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