Box Score

PUEBLO, Colo. - No. 10 Metro State squeaked past Adams State 48-37 in overtime on Friday in Pueblo to advance to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship game.  The Roadrunners won their 12th straight game and improved to 27-1 this season, while ASC fell to 21-9, snapping a nine-game winning streak.

It was the first overtime game for the Roadrunners this season and their first overtime victory since 2008.

Metro State played its most dominant defensive half in school history in the first half, holding Adams State to just eight points, the fewest ever allowed in a half.  The Grizzlies were held to just 21.1 percent shooting and committed 14 turnovers as Metro State was up 24-8 at the break.  ASC went scoreless over the final six minutes as Metro State closed the half on a 13-0 run.

The Grizzlies returned the favor early in the second half.  The Roadrunners went scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half as ASC pulled to within eight points at 24-16.

A 9-0 run sparked by a 3-pointer by Vera Jo Bustos tied the game at 30-30 with four minutes left in regulation.  Adams State took its first lead of the game after a pair of free throws by Crystal Loch put her team up 34-32 with 2:09 on the clock.

A jumper by Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.) tied the game with 1:18 left.  Bustos hit the second of two attempts at the line with 57 seconds to play and Cervantes again tied the game, making 1-of-2 at the line with 45 seconds to go.  Neither team found the basket the rest of regulation.  Bustos' 3-pointer at the buzzer from the top of the key hit the right side of the rim and missed.

Cervantes scored on Metro State's first possession in overtime and ASC evened the score on its second possession, but it was all Roadrunners after that.  Emily Wood (Louisville, Colo./Monarch H.S.) put Metro State up 39-37 two minutes into overtime.  Cassondra Bratton (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) and Cervantes scored on the next two possessions for a 6-point lead.  Bratton and Kristin Valencia (Moriarty, N.M./Moriarty H.S.) then iced the game with two free throws each on the team's first two possessions in the final minute.

The Roadrunners scored 13 points in overtime after just 11 points during the second half, the fewest Metro State has ever scored in the second half of a game.

The 35 points allowed in regulation were season-bests defensively for both teams this season.

Bratton ended up tying Bustos for a game-high 17 points, hitting 5-of-11 from the floor and 7-of-9 at the line.  She also had nine rebounds.  Cervantes scored 13 points and had four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.  Valencia pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and made 6-of-6 at the line, scoring six points.

Metro State forced a season-high 25 turnovers and held ASC to just 28.3 percent shooting, the sixth time this season it has held an opponent under 30 percent.  The Roadrunners were, however, outrebounded for just the third time this season, 41-38.  They also shot just 28.6 percent.

Valencia played shutdown defense on ASC's Kendra Coveal, holding her to just six points in 44 minutes after entering the game averaging 14.9 points.  Valencia played a career-high 43 minutes.

Bustos shot just 7-of-23 from the floor for 17 points.  Bustos averages 17.2 points for the season and has shot 42.5 percent.

Metro State will play the winner of No. 6 Fort Lewis and Colorado Christian at 3 p.m. on Saturday for the championship game at the State Fair Events Center in Pueblo.   It will be Metro State's first appearance in the championship game since 2007. The Roadrunners last won the RMAC Shootout in 2005.