@MSUDenverMBB: Roadrunners Cruise Past Mountaineers on the Road
GUNNISON, COLO. - MSU Denver took control early and never looked back, rolling to a dominant 79-61 road win over Western Colorado on Saturday afternoon.
The Roadrunners jumped out to a commanding 50-33 lead at halftime, shooting an impressive 65.5% from the field and knocking down nine three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. They maintained their momentum in the second half, keeping the Mountaineers at bay to secure the victory.
Sufyan Elkannan led the Roadrunners with a game-high 18 points, drilling four three-pointers off the bench. KJ Garrett added 14 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting, while Brayden Carter controlled the paint with 12 points and nine rebounds.
MSU Denver's defense stifled Western Colorado throughout the game, holding the Mountaineers to just 34.9% shooting from the floor. Despite a balanced scoring effort from Western, led by Tyler Halligan's 12 points, the home team struggled to close the gap.
The Roadrunners capitalized on their depth, outscoring Western's bench 38-30. Their ball movement and efficiency were key factors, as they dished out 14 assists while committing only 14 turnovers.
Back in the win column, the Roadrunners will look to continue their strong play when they return home next week for a pair of RMAC matchups against Chadron State on Thursday, February 13, and South Dakota Mines on Saturday, February 15.
Purchase your tickets today at RoadrunnersAthletics.com/Tickets.
Latest Men's Basketball News
- @MSUDenverMBB: MSU Denver Secures Overtime Victory at RegisDENVER – The MSU Denver Roadrunners delivered a clutch performance in overtime to take down Regis 78-69 on Saturday afternoon.
- This Week in Roadrunners AthleticsDENVER – Baseball begins home schedule against the University of Mary this weekend.
- @MSUDenverMBB: MSU Denver Falls in Defensive Matchup vs #7 Colorado School of Mines, 66-61DENVER - In a matchup between two teams that both average 80 points or more a game, one would expect a high-scoring affair. However, this was not the case in the Roadrunners' last home game at the Auraria Event Center. MSU Denver came out swinging, leading 8-2 early and forcing the Orediggers to commit two turnovers before the first media timeout. Caleb McGill led the charge with 6 early points all coming in the paint. However, that energy was not carried over for the entire first half as the Roadrunners went on a nearly 8-minute scoreless drought to close the half that brought them into the locker room down 30-28
- @MSUDenverMBB: Roadrunners Jump One Spot to Sixth in Regional RankingsINDIANAPOLIS – The MSU Denver men's basketball team jumped one spot to sixth in the South Central Region of this week's D2CSC Division II Media Poll.
- Hall of Fame 2024: McCarron Overcame Early Obstacles to Forge Legendary CareerDENVER – Mitch McCarron was passed over for an Australian national team for an international tournament, didn't have his scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport renewed and couldn't seem to find an American college that would offer him a scholarship to play basketball.
- @MSUDenverMBB: MSU Denver Climbs Back on Senior Day to Beat South Dakota Mines 72-68DENVER - It wasn't always pretty as MSU Denver trailed by 8 at halftime 38-30, and one had to wonder if there was a bit of emotional hangover from all the Senior Day festivities. Defensively, they were getting killed from the perimeter as the Hardrockers nailed 9 triples in the first half. On the glass, the RMAC's best rebounding team only held a 19-17 lead in that category.