DENVER – The 23^rd-ranked men's basketball team had seven different Roadrunners score eight points or more in the 81-64 win over Western Colorado. 
 
The win improves MSU Denver's record to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Western Colorado falls to 2-6 overall and 1-2 in the RMAC.
 
The victory gave head coach Dan Ficke his 100^th career win as a head coach. It was his 39^th win as the MSU Denver head coach after winning 61 games at his previous program of Belmont Abbey. 
 
"It means I have had a lot of great players that have helped me get there," Coach Ficke said on his accomplishment. "I didn't even know until after the game. But that's all I could think of when they told me, was the amazing kids I've had the opportunity to coach."
 
A couple more milestones were reached in the victory. Both senior forwards Brayden Carter and Caleb McGill reached 1,000 career points in their collegiate careers. 
 
"I think it's awesome," Coach Ficke said. "Brayden let me know on the bus on the way back from the road trip that he was close. But I didn't know how close Caleb was. I think it's pretty cool that the twin towers did it on the same night. Hopefully that's a sign of good things to come in the future as we move forward." 
 
"I enjoy playing for Coach Ficke and I think he is a great coach," Carter said on Ficke. "I'm very appreciative to help him get his 100^th win. Go Roadrunners!"
 
"It means I have great teammates," McGill said on scoring 1,003 career points. "I've had a great opportunity here at MSU Denver to compete and kind of be myself, so shoutout to Coach Ficke and to the entire MSU Denver staff, even the entire staff from last year as well for just in believing in me, for my teammates believing in me and for putting me into a position to score."
 
"I'm very thankful," Carter said on his achievement of 1,000 career points. "I thought I was going to spend four years at Regis, but it wasn't the right fit. Then I was at Fort Lewis and things happened, so I didn't think I would do it here, but I'm thankful."
 
MSU Denver jumped out to a quick 16-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. But the Mountaineers were looking to pull off an upset by letting it rain from downtown. WCU hit on five three-pointers over the final 10 minutes of the first half to get to within three. 
 
Western Colorado kept their momentum into the second half and even took the lead four minutes in to go up 51-50. But a Carter dunk spurred a 12-0 run to give the home team a 62-51 lead that they would never relinquish.
 
"We bend a little, but we don't break." Coach Ficke said on the resiliency from his team. "That's one of the things this team has learned to do. Teams are going to make runs, it's a game of runs. We need to be better in sustaining our focus, but we seem to always get it back. We need to have 40 minutes of focus and that type of grit." 
 
The Roadrunners shot 57 percent from the field, which included a 42 percent mark from beyond the arc. They were led by McGill, who finished with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double on the season. 
 
Logan Threatt continues to be a threat in multiple ways for MSU Denver this season. The sophomore guard scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while adding six rebounds and three assists. 
 
"It's easy to knock down shots when you have guys like that," Threatt said on having teammates like McGill and Carter by his side. "Teams gameplan for them and they surround them, and it leaves open shots for guards like us." 
 
Carter finished the game with eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Ryan Maslow reached 12 points, his first double-digit game of the season. And Quave Propst-Allison had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. 
 
MSU Denver will take on Westminster on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Griffins are 7-3 with a 1-1 record in the RMAC.