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DENVER, Colo. - Emily Wood (Louisville, Colo./Monarch H.S.) buried a 10-foot jumper from the right baseline with 15 seconds left to lift Metro State to a 54-53 victory over Northwest Missouri State on Saturday at the Metro State Thanksgiving Classic in Denver.  The Roadrunners improved to 3-1 to open the season, while the Bearcats fell to 4-2.

Metro State played solid defense for the second night in a row, holding NWMSU to just 33.9 (19-for-56) percent shooting from the field and forcing 16 turnovers.  However, buckets were hard to come by for the Roadrunners as well as they hit just 35.3 (18-of-51) percent and Northwest Missouri State forced 19 turnovers.  Metro State shot just 1-of-11 (.091) from the outside.

Kristin Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) and Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.), twin sisters for Metro State, combined for 23 points and 12 rebounds as Kristin had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and Brandi chipped in with 10 points and one rebound off the bench.  Rae Bean (Lakewood, Colo./Bear Creek H.S.) scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed four rebounds.  Chelsea Williamson (Boulder, Colo./Boulder H.S.) had a game-high five assists.

NWMSU built a six-point lead at 22-16 in the first half with 7:37 to play, but Metro State stormed back with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 22-all with five minutes remaining in the half.  Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.)'s layup with 45 seconds left game Metro State a 26-24 lead at halftime.  The Roadrunners forced 12 turnovers in the first half, but shot just 33.3 (8-for-24) percent from the floor.

Metro State stretched its lead to 44-37 on a jumper from Bean with under 10 minutes left.  But the Bearcats answered with an 11-2 run to take a 48-46 lead with five minutes to play on a three-pointer by Gabby Curtis.

Bean's 3-point play with 2:23 left put Metro State ahead 52-50, but Shelly Martin buried a three less than a minute later for the Bearcats, putting them back in front 53-52.

The Roadrunners had a scoreless ensuing possession, despite getting a pair of offensive rebounds, but they forced a traveling call on the defensive end with 42 seconds left to get the ball back.

After a timeout, Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) drove to the basket and kicked it out to Wood on the right basline for the 10-foot jumper to put Metro State in front 54-53.  Martin's 3-point attempt from the right wing missed, as did Ashley Thayer's jumper seconds later and Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) was able to corral the rebound to secure the win.

Curtis led NWMSU with 17 points and Martin added 12.

Metro State will host No. 5 Fort Lewis on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Auraria Event Center.