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DENVER - The Metro State women's basketball team improved to 8-0 (4-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) on Saturday with a 72-44 victory over Chadron State at home.  The 8-0 start is the best start in school history, topping the 1991-92 team that opened the season with seven wins.  CSC dropped to 1-6 and 0-4 in the RMAC with the loss on Saturday.

Another solid defensive effort held the Eagles to 28.3 percent shooting, including 1-of-14 (.071) from the outside.  It was the second time this season a Roadrunner opponent shot under 30 percent from the floor.  Metro State also held a 42-32 rebounding advantage and forced 24 turnovers.  It was also the second straight game and second time this season Metro State forced over 20 turnovers.

Cassondra Bratton (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) recorded her second consecutive double-double and fifth of her career with 15 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7-of-8 from the floor.  Kristin Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) scored a season-high 16 points to lead all players.  She hit 5-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-7 at the line, while grabbing seven rebounds and adding three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.  Tawny Drexler (Golden, Colo./Golden H.S.) scored 12 points and seven rebounds and Emily Wood (Louisville, Colo./Monarch H.S.) also reached double figures with 10 points and added a team-high four assists.

Sullivan Ziegler (Denver/Heritage H.S.) provided a career-high nine points off the bench.  Candice Kohn (Midland, Texas/Midland Christian H.S.), limited with foul trouble, scored seven points and had three steals.

Metro State shot 44.8 percent as a team.

After two sloppy minutes to start the game, Chadron State took a 1-0 lead with 17:44 left.  But it was all Metro State from that point as the Roadrunners took a 16-1 lead with 11:37 left on a jumper by Valencia that followed back-to-back jumpers by Ziegler.  A 14-2 run late in the half stretched the lead to 35-14 with 28 seconds left in the half and the Roadrunners took a 35-16 lead into the break.

Drexler, Bratton and Valencia combined for 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting in the first half as Metro State outscored CSC 18-4 in the paint.

Kohn hit a 3-pointer with under 15 minutes left in the game to put the Roadrunners in front 45-21 for a 24-point lead.  The Eagles briefly cut the lead under 20 points, but another jumper by Valencia stretched the lead back to 20 at 49-29 and that was as close as CSC would get the rest of the game.

The Roadrunners led by as much as 29 points at 65-36 with 4:41 left and won by 28 points at 72-44.  The 29-point lead was Metro State's largest of the season and the 28-point margin of victory was also a season-best.

Metro State will wrap up 2010 when it hosts Regis University at 5 p.m. next Saturday at Metro State's Event Center.  The Roadrunners will then be off until the New Year.