Box Score DENVER - No. 1 Metro State built a 13-point halftime lead and cruised to an 86-82 win over No. 13 Colorado Mines to advance to its third consecutive regional championship game on Sunday night. The Roadrunners improved to 30-1 overall with their 27th consecutive win, while Mines ended its season at 25-5.

Metro State will face No. 23 Midwestern State (Texas) at 7 p.m. in the South Central Region championship on Tuesday at the Auraria Event Center.

For the second consecutive night, Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) reached the 30-point plateau with exactly 30 points. He scored 37 on Saturday in a first-round win over UC-Colorado Springs. He is the first Roadrunner to score 30+ points in consecutive games since Gene Edwards in 1990.

Jefferson made all 11 of his free throw attempts and 8-of-17 from the floor.

Joining Jefferson in double figures was Mitch McCarron (Brisbane, Australia/Genesis Christian College) (16 points), Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) (14) and Jamal McClerkin (Van Nuys, Calif./Chaminade College Prep) (10). McCarron and Kay each had a game-high nine rebounds and McClerkin had seven as the Roadrunners outrebounded CSM 40-to-31.

Metro State outshot the Orediggers 48.3 percent to 41.7 percent, overcoming a minus-four turnover margin. MSU Denver is fourth in the nation in turnover margin.

Metro State put together a complete first half to lead 46-33 at the break after shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, outrebounding the Orediggers 18-to-15 and committing just three turnovers. The Roadrunners used a 25-9 run midway through the first half to lead 34-16 with 6:11 left.

MSU Denver opened a 59-43 lead with 13:50 remaining, but Mines responded with a 10-4 run to get within 12 points.

Leading 77-65 with 3:51 remaining, Metro State was outscored 12-4 over the next 2:23 as CSM got within four points with 28 seconds to go. The Orediggers climbed within three points at 85-82 on a 3-pointer by Brett Green with 11 seconds to go.

Sam Porter (Arvada, Colo./Arvada West H.S.) made it a two-possession game by hitting 1-of-2 at the line with 6.7 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Green led Colorado Mines with 16 points and five assists.

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