Box Score

SILVER CITY, N.M. - The Metro State men's basketball team blocked eight shots, including two in the final minute, to hold on for a 62-56 victory at Western New Mexico on Saturday.  The Roadrunners improved to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Mustangs fell to 1-5 and 1-1.

Reggie Evans (Aurora, Colo./Rangeview H.S.) poured in 22 points off the bench, hitting 8-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-7 at the line, while adding four rebounds.  Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) also had 11 points off the bench, buring 6-of-8 at the line, while recording a team-high four steals.  The pair helped Metro State's bench outscore WNMU's bench 41-11.

Starter Jonathan Morse (Boulder, Colo./Fairview H.S.) had eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.  Shakir Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey H.S.) blocked a career-high six shots and scored six points as well.  #A.J. Flournoy# led the team with three assists.

Metro State held WNMU to just 29.8 percent shooting, but the Mustangs stayed in the game by hitting 25-of-27 at the free throw line.  Metro State also held a 32-29 rebounding advantage and shot 45.0 percent from the floor.  Both teams committed 12 turnovers.

The Roadrunners led for most of the first half, but Western took the lead with under five minutes before halftime and took a 25-23 lead into the break.

The Mustangs quickly took a six-point lead 1:30 into the second half at 29-23.  Evans scored on a fastbreak layup with 15:30 left in the game.  A 3-pointer by Jefferson two minutes later and a jumper by Johnson in the paint with 13:28 left gave Metro State its first lead of the second half at 33-31.  The Roadrunners would not trail the rest of the game.

Metro State led 58-52 with 1:21 left in the game after a 3-point play by Evans.  A pair of free throws by Western cut the lead to four with just over a minute left.  Johnson blocked his fifth shot of the night to force a stop on Western's next possession and Quaran Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends' Central H.S.) hit 1-of-2 at the line to stretch the lead back to five at 59-54 with 40 seconds on the clock.

T.J. Riley hit two free throws for the Mustangs to chip the lead down to three.  Jefferson made 1-of-2 at the line to make it a two-possession game with 27 seconds left.  Shakir Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif./Dorsey H.S.) blocked his sixth shot of the game on WNMU's ensuing possession, again giving the Roadrunners possession and Evans iced the game with two free throws with 11 seconds left.

It was the third time this season Metro State has rallied to win after trailing at halftime.

Metro State will play its home conference opener on Friday against Nebraska-Kearney at 7 p.m.