Box Score

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Brittany Ransom made a layup from the right baseline as time expired to eliminate No. 10 Metro State at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight as the Roadrunners fell 46-45 to Shaw (N.C.) University on Friday in St. Joseph, Mo. Metro State's season ended at 30-3, while Shaw improved to 24-11 with its 11th consecutive win.


Metro State led nearly the entire game and held a three-point lead with 48 seconds left after two free throws from Brandi Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.). After forcing a miss by Shaw, Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) made 1-of-2 at the line for a four-point lead with 19 seconds left.

But Kyria Buford's 3-pointer rattled in from the right corner with 7.4 seconds on the clock to cut Metro State's lead to 45-44. Buford was 1-of-16 shooting before hitting that shot. Valencia had a chance to stretch the lead back to three, but missed both free throws with 6.9 seconds to play. Ransom then took a pass that found its way through two Metro State defenders on the right baseline, dribbled and spun towards
the basket and her shot fell through with no time
left after bouncing around the rim.

Free throws doomed the Roadrunners all game as they hit a season-worst 41.2 percent at the stripe, making just 7-of-17, including 6-of-16 in the second half. Metro State dominated the boards as usual, outrebounding Shaw 50-36 and held the Lady Bears to just 30.5 percent shooting.

Valencia led the Roadrunners with 10 points, scoring eight in the first half. Cervantes scored nine points and had 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Senior Cassondra Bratton (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) was held to just six points, though she had 10 rebounds and five assists. She finished her career six points shy of 1,000 in her three-year career at Metro State, though she finished well over that mark including her freshman season at the University of Denver.

Alyssa Benson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka H.S.) and Emily Wood (Louisville, Colo./Monarch H.S.) each hit two 3-pointers and had eight points each.

Metro State led throughout the first half, building a nine-point lead at 24-15 with 3:54 left on a 3-pointer by Wood, and holding a 26-19 lead at the break.

The Lady Bears went on a run early in the second half and took their only lead of the second half until the final basket at 33-31 with 8:36 to play.

Metro State had plenty of chances to extend its lead in the second half at the line, missing the front end of a 1-and-1 twice and missing its first seven attempts at the stripe in the second half. But the strong defense held the team together and the Roadrunners led by four points at the under-8-minute media timeout after a layup by Candice Kohn (Midland, Texas/Midland Christian H.S.). Both teams went scoreless over the next two minutes until Ransom buried a 3-pointer with 5:41 left to cut the lead to 37-36.

Cervantes answered with a layup on Metro State's next possession. Janelle Harrison tied the game at 39-39 with 4:15 left with a layup. Bratton then made 3-of-4 at the line over the next minute-and-a-half to push the lead back to three. That was the largest lead until the final minute.

Ransom led Shaw with 13 points off the bench. The Roadrunners held Shaw's two leading scorers, Demaria Liles and Buford to just four and five points, respectively. Liles entered the game averaging 19.0 points and 11.7 rebounds and Buford 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Metro State blew its first halftime lead of the season after entering the game with a 27-0 mark when leading halfway through. It was the 14th time the Roadrunners have held an opponent under 50 points, but their first loss in that situation.

The Roadrunners will say goodbye to Bratton and Tawny Drexler (Golden, Colo./Golden H.S.), the lone seniors on the squad. Drexler finished the game with five rebounds in 16 minutes.

Head coach Tanya Haave put together the most impressive first season of any coach at Metro State, leading the team to numerous records. Metro State set school records for most wins in a season (30), longest winning streak (15 games), longest home winning streak (18) and total rebounds. The Roadrunners also shattered their school record for fewest points per game allowed at 51.4. The previous record was 57.2 in 1997-98. Metro State also won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game and then ran off two more to advance to the Elite Eight.

Haave was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.