DENVER, COLO. - The Metro State College women's basketball team shot a season-high 57.9 percent from the field to cruise to an 88-71 victory over Regis on the road in a battle of the two Denver schools on Tuesday evening. The win moves the Roadrunners into sole possession of third place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference East Division as the two teams were tied entering the game. Metro State is now 13-13 overall and 11-7 in the RMAC, while Regis drops to 13-13 overall and 10-8 in the RMAC. The Roadrunners have clinched a spot in the RMAC Shootout and still have an outside chance of hosting a first round game with two losses by Colorado State-Pueblo.
Rae Bean led five players in double figures for Metro State with 22 points as she tied a career high. She hit 8-of-15 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line. Megan Sinclair scored 17, followed by Sharaya Selsor with 15 and Chelsea Williamson and Jasmine Cervantes with 13 each. Williamson and Cervantes shot lights-out, as Williamson connected on 5-of-6 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from the outside and Cervantes went 6-for-7 from the field. Cervantes also added seven assists and four steals. Leandra Sands added a career and game-high nine rebounds to go with eight points off the bench.
Regis led 23-17 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half after Jacque Machesney hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Rangers. But Metro State answered with a 17-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a 34-27 lead as the Roadrunners got their inside game going, scoring 10 points in the paint. Metro State held on to a four-point lead at 42-38 going into halftime after Emily Kuipers hit a three at the buzzer for Regis.
Williamson carried the Roadrunners in the first half, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 11 points as three of her baskets were 3-pointers. Bean also reached double figures, scoring 10 points in the first half, while pulling down five rebounds. Both teams shot well from the outside before halftime as the Rangers hit 8-of-12 from beyond the arc and the Roadrunners hit 5-of-8.
Both teams played evenly for the first 15 minutes of the second half and the score was tied 71-71 with under five minutes to go in the game. But Metro State dominated on both ends late in the game, outscoring Regis 19-0 in the final 5:18.
Bean put Metro State ahead 73-71 with two free throws with 4:47 remaining after she tied the score with a layup at the 5:18 mark. Cervantes then scored twice on layups and Williamson added another layup with 2:33 to go to put the Roadrunners ahead 79-71 with 2:33 to play.
Selsor put the game away by hitting a 3-pointer with 1:32 left and then draining all six free throw attempts in the final 1:01.
Metro State held a 37-27 rebounding edge in the game and held Regis to 38.7 percent from the field.
Kuipers led Regis with 20 points, followed by Machesney with 18.
The Roadrunners wrap up the regular season on Saturday at Colorado-Colorado Springs at 6 p.m.
