Box Score DENVER - For the third year in a row, Metro State will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight after the Roadrunners earned a 78-56 win over No. 23 Midwestern State (Texas) on Tuesday night at the Auraria Event Center in the South Central Region championship. It was the 28th consecutive win for Metro State as the Roadrunners improved to 31-1 overall this season. The Mustangs fell to 24-8.

The Roadrunners blew open a 33-27 halftime lead with a 31-7 run early in the second half and led by as many as 27 points. Metro State shot 53.3 percent in the second half and committed just three of their 12 turnovers after halftime.

Mitch McCarron (Brisbane, Australia/Genesis Christian College) recorded a double-double with game highs of 16 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and dishing out three assists. The tournament's most outstanding player Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) cooled to just 4-of-15 shooting, but had 15 points, seven steals, six rebounds and four assists. His seven steals tied McCarron's NCAA tournament school record.

Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) poured in 15 points as well, making a pair of 3-pointers and added six rebounds. Jamal McClerkin (Van Nuys, Calif./Chaminade College Prep) scored 12 points and Harrison Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College Hunter's Hill) chipped in with eight off the bench.

Jefferson, who had scored 37 and 30 points in his previous two games, was held to just 1-of-8 shooting in the first half against a physical defense. He sparked the big second-half run, scoring 10 of the 31 points during it, including a pair of 3-pointers.

For the game, Metro State dominated on the defensive end, forcing 18 turnovers and outrebounding the Mustangs 41-to-36. They also limited MWSU to just 32.8 percent shooting. That was the lowest field goal percentage for an opponent since a season-opening 73-44 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville when TAMUK was held to 26.7 percent.

Monzaigo Williams led Midwestern State with 10 points.

Metro State will face Tuskegee (Ala.) at 2:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 26, in Evansville, Ind.

A webpage with travel information to the Elite Eight will be available later this week.