Box Score DENVER - No. 3 Metro State rallied from a 12-point deficit with under 10 minutes left to earn an 86-76 win over Colorado Mesa on Friday night. The Roadrunners improved to 15-1 overall and 12-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with their 12th straight win, while CMU fell to 8-8 and 6-6.

The Roadrunners went on a 28-5 run over eight minutes to build a 12-point lead with a minute left in the game.

Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the second half and 18 of those points in the final 10 minutes of the game. He shot 7-of-14 and 13-of-17 at the free throw line, while adding seven rebounds and five assists.

Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) poured in 16 points with six rebounds, hitting 9-of-10 at the line. Jamal McClerkin (Van Nuys, Calif./Chaminade College Prep) scored a career-high 15 points for the second consecutive game. Mitch McCarron (Brisbane, Australia/Genesis Christian College) had 11 points and Harrison Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College Hunter's Hill) had 10.

The Roadrunners made 36-of-46 (.783) at the free throw line and finished shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. They committed just four turnovers, one away from the school record for fewest in a game. MSU also outrebounded the Mavericks 36-to-33.

Metro State had an atrocious first half shooting the ball, connecting on just 25.9 percent from the floor, including 1-of-11 from the outside. The Mavericks shot 52 percent, but led just 35-31 at halftime thanks to the Roadrunners committing just two turnovers.

CMU built a 12-point lead midway through the second half at 60-48 with 9:36 left after a 3-point play by Landon Vermeer.

Jefferson then caught fire for the Roadrunners, scoring the first eight points and 13 out of a 28-5 run to lead 76-64 with 1:17 to go. McClerkin's two free throws at the four-minute mark gave the Roadrunners their first lead since a 17-16 lead with 6:36 left in the first half. Goodrick capped the run with a two-handed slam over a CMU defender.

Metro State shot 53.3 percent in the second half.

Landon Vermeer scored 19 points to lead the Mavericks and Jerry Duckworth buried 5-of-6 from the outside to score 18 off the bench.

Metro State will host Western State at 7 p.m. on Saturday.