Box Score

GUNNISON, Colo. - The Metro State women's basketball team remained perfect this season, closing the game on a 9-0 run over the final two minutes to edge Western State 66-57.  The Roadrunners are now 11-0 and 7-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Mountaineers fell to 5-7 and 3-5.  Metro State remains in a three-way tie for first place with Colorado Christian and No. 3 Fort Lewis.

The game was back-and-forth the entire way with seven ties and seven lead changes throughout the contest.  The Roadrunners trailed by as much as six in the first half, but took a five-point lead at 37-32 into halftime, their largest lead of the first half.  It was the second-most points Metro State has scored in a first half this season.

The Mountaineers regained the lead midway through the second half, but a 10-0 run capped by a 3-point play by Kristin Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) gave Metro State a 55-49 lead with 5:44 to play.

WSC fought back to tie the game at 57-57 with 2:15 left on a 3-point play by Katie Hall.  Tawny Drexler (Golden, Colo./Golden H.S.) drew a foul on the ensuing possession and buried both free throws to give Metro State its final lead of the game.  Valencia then drilled a 3-pointer on the next possession for a 62-57 lead with 1:27 to go.  She then hit a pair of free throws with 30 seconds remaining and Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) buried two more with seven seconds left as the Roadrunners were 6-of-6 at the line during their 9-0 run in the final 2:03.

Valencia led the Roadrunners with 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting and 6-of-6 at the line, while grabbing six rebounds.  Alyssa Benson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka H.S.) scored 10 off the bench, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers.  Cassondra Bratton (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) had nine points, six rebounds and three assists.

Drexler added eight points and a team-high eight rebounds while shooting 3-of-4 from the floor.  Cervantes also scored eight and had five rebounds and three steals.

Metro State shot 44.2 percent from the floor and hit 16-of-20 (.800) at the line.  The Roadrunners also forced 19 turnovers and outrebounded Western State 35-30.  The two teams entered the game first and second in the RMAC in rebounding margin.

Hall led WSC with 22 points and 12 rebounds.  Nikki Trujillo added 21 points as the duo combined for over 75 percent of their team's points.

Metro State will host Colorado Mines on Friday at 5 p.m.