Box Score

LAS VEGAS, N.M. - The Metro State women's basketball team topped New Mexico Highlands 68-51 on the road on Friday evening in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.  The Roadrunners moved to 5-0 overall on the season, while NMHU fell to 3-4.

Another strong defensive effort held the Cowgirls to 38.8 percent shooting, the fifth straight game to open the season that a Metro State opponent has been held to under 40 percent.  Metro State shot 50 percent on Friday and enjoyed a 36-29 rebounding advantage.

Candice Kohn (Midland, Texas/Midland Christian H.S.) scored a season-high 14 points in her first start of the year, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the outside.  She also had a team-high three assists.

Cassondra Bratton (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) scored 12 points and had eight rebounds, shooting 5-of-6.  Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) poured in 11 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor.  Tawny Drexler (Golden, Colo./Golden H.S.) and Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) each had nine points.  Kristin Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) was held scoreless for the first time in her career, but had five rebounds.

Metro State forced 10 turnovers in the first half to take a 29-19 lead at the break after ending the half on a 6-0 run.  Kohn and Valencia each had 11 points in the first half.

The Roadrunners quickly built a 17-point lead at 43-26 less than six minutes into the second half as Bratton scored eight points early.  NMHU briefly cut the lead to single digits at 47-38 with eight minutes left, but a 3-pointer by Alyssa Benson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka H.S.) on the next possession quickly pushed the lead back to double digits at 50-38.  Metro State led by as much as 19 points with under a minute left in the game.

Metro State will travel to Western New Mexico for a 6 p.m. game on Saturday.  A win would match the second-best start to a season in school history.