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DENVER, Colo. - The Metro State women's basketball team fell to Adams State 58-53 on Saturday at home in Denver.  The Roadrunners fell to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Grizzlies improved to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the RMAC.

Freshman Jalyssa Caesar (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North H.S.) led Metro State with game-highs of 14 points and seven rebounds, while adding three steals and two assists.  Alyssa Benson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka H.S.) scored seven points, while Candice Kohn (Midland, Texas/Midland Christian H.S.) and Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) scored six each.

Metro State shot just 34.0 (17-of-50) percent, including 4-for-16 from the outside.  But the Roadrunners forced 18 turnovers to keep themselves in the game.

They trailed by just two points at the half at 26-24.  Adams State hit 54.5 (12-of-22) percent from the floor in the first half, but Metro State forced 11 turnovers and committed just three, despite connecting at just 25.8 (8-of-31) percent.  Caesar led all scorers with eight first-half points, hitting 6-of-6 at the line.

The teams came out even for the first 10 minutes of the second half, with neither team leading by more than three at any point.  But an 8-0 run by ASC put the Grizzlies in front 45-40 with 8:44 left after a pair of free throws by Vera Jo Bustos.

The Roadrunners responded with a 9-1 run to take a 3-point lead at 49-46 after Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) hit a pair of free throws and knocked down a jumper with under five minutes left.

After Bustos scored at the 4-minute mark to cut the lead to 49-48, Caesar scored a layup and drew the foul, but was unable to convert the 3-point play, leaving the score 51-48 in favor of Metro State.

Neither team scored again until Kelsie Kruger buried a 3-pointer from the right wing to tie the game with just under two minutes to play.  Misti Solomon scored on a layup on ASC's next possession after forcing a traveling call, putting the Grizzlies ahead 53-51 with 1:10 left.

Rae Bean (Lakewood, Colo./Bear Creek H.S.)'s 10-foot fadeway fell short, but Benson put back the rebound to tie the game at 53-53 with 45 seconds on the clock.

Bustos answered again for Adams State, hitting a 15-foot jumper with 26 seconds left.  After a Metro State time out, the Roadrunners went to Caesar in the post and she drew a foul as she went in for a layup with 10.9 seconds left.  However, her first attempt missed off the back of the rim and her second attempt, after each team took a timeout, rimmed out leaving the Grizzlies ahead 55-53.  Chloe Cable made two free throws with nine seconds left  and Paige Ricker hit 1-of-2 with two seconds left to seal the win for ASC.

Solomon and Ricker led Adams State with 12 points each and Bustos added 11.

Metro State will travel to Western State next Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.