Durango, Colo. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver men's basketball team was defeated 89-78 by No. 8 Fort Lewis on Friday night.  The Roadrunners finish the season with an overall record of 19-11.
 
The Roadrunners were led in scoring by senior Eric Rayer (Colorado Springs/Coronado H.S.) with 22 points.  Rayer went 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-6 from three-point range.  Senior Tony Dobbinson (Stamford, Conn./Westhill H.S.) and junior Brian Howard (Maywood, Ill./Saint Ignatius H.S.) each added 16 points.  Senior DeShawn Phenix (Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley H.S.), sophomore Bounama Keita (Saint-Louis, Senegal/Impact Basketball Academy (Fla.)), and sophomore Shane Fox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.) each had five rebounds in the contest.  Keita also had three blocks in the game.
 
Junior Andre Harris (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb H.S.) scored the first four points of the game for MSU Denver; however, the Roadrunners would find themselves down 9-4 four minutes into the game.  Dobbinson knocked down a three-point basket with 13:25 on the clock to bring the Roadrunners within four, 20-16.  Fort Lewis started the game shooting 10-of-14 from the field and led 25-16 just over eight minutes into the game.  The Roadrunners would hold the Skyhawks to 1-of-7 shooting over the next five minutes.  Over that stretch, MSU tied the game 27-27 on a pair of Dobbinson free throws.  Back-to-back three-pointers by Fort Lewis were answered by a three-point shot by Dobbinson.  The Roadrunners trailed 33-30 with under five minutes to play in the half.  Rayer closed the half for the Roadrunners knocking down three consecutive three-point baskets to give MSU Denver a 41-40 lead with 47 seconds to play.  A pair of free throws, a dunk by Harris, and a layup by Fort Lewis as time expired in the half made the score 44-43 in favor of the Skyhawks at the half.
 
The second half saw the Roadrunners take a brief lead before falling behind again.  Rayer tied the game at 48-48 after sinking his fifth three-pointer of the game.  MSU Denver would go cold from the field over a four minute span and Fort Lewis went on an 11-0 run.  Dobbinson hit a jumper with 13:05 remaining to make the score 59-50 with the Roadrunners trailing.  After trading baskets, Rayer hit his sixth three-pointer of the game to cut the Fort Lewis lead to 70-62.  Rayer made a layup less than a minute later to bring the Roadrunners within five points, 70-65, with 7:25 to play.  Fort Lewis would capitalize from the free throw line and take a 78-67 lead.  Howard connected on a three-point basket to make the score 78-70 at the 4:38 mark.  The Roadrunners would go without a field goal for over three minutes and Fort Lewis went on a 9-0 run.  The Roadrunners would not be able to overcome the Skyhawks in the final minutes and Fort Lewis finished the game with the victory 89-78.
 
MSU Denver shot 50 percent from three-point range connecting on 11-of-22 attempts.  Fort Lewis shot 15-of-17 in the second half from the free throw line.