Box Score DENVER - No. 5 Colorado Mines escaped No. 12 Metro State with a 72-67 win on Monday night at the Auraria Event Center. The Orediggers improved to 19-2 overall and 15-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Roadrunners dropped to 18-4 and 13-4 in the RMAC.

Mines hit 3-of-4 at the free throw line in the final 10 seconds to secure the win.

Freshman Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Metro, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-6 at the line. Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) scored 14 and Reggie Evans (Aurora, Colo./Rangeview H.S.) added 12.

But the Roadrunners were outrebounded 37-33, the sixth time they have been outrebounded this season. Metro is now 2-4 this season when it has been outrebounded.

Mines built a six-point lead midway through the first half, but a steal and fastbreak dunk by Kay cut it to 27-26 with 4:45 left in the half. A free throw two possessions later by DeShawn Phenix (Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley H.S.) tied the game at 29-29 with 3:30 to play.

Metro went into halftime down 36-35. Mines outrebounded Metro 20-13 in the first half. Kay led all scorers with 11 at the break, going 4-for-4 from the floor, and Jefferson had 10.

Demetrius Miller (Flint, Mich./Flint Central H.S.) hit a jumper from the right elbow on the first possession of the second half to put Metro up 37-36 the Roadrunners took their first lead since 14:31 was left in the first half. But a 10-2 Orediggers run put them back on top 55-48 with 11:18 to go. They took their largest lead of the game at 59-50 with 9:28 left.

A basket by Kay and a 3-pointer by Miller sparked an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 63-62 with five minutes to go.

The game remained back-and-forth until Trevor Wages hit two free throws for Mines with 1:00 left and the Roadrunners traveled on their ensuing possession as CSM held a 69-65 lead with under a minute.

Mines got an offensive rebound with 23.2 seconds left , but Brian Muller missed two double-bonus free throws. Derrick January (Long Beach, Calif./Dominguez H.S.) scored off a missed layup by Evans with 11.8 seconds to go, cutting the deficit back to 69-67.

Brett Green made two free throws with 10.0 seconds left and Wages hit one with 2.9 to go to seal the win.

Dale Minschwaner and freshman Trevor Ritchie led the Orediggers with 13 points each and Green had 11. Minschwaner also had 10 boards.

Metro State will host Chadron State at 7 p.m. on Friday.