Rapid City, S.D.- The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's basketball team defeated South Dakota School of Mines 70-58 to kick off Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Play.
 
MSU Denver started the first quarter taking a quick 8-2 lead over the Hardrockers, however, the Hardrockers went on to score the following seven points to take a one-point lead over MSU Denver.
 
Junior J'Nae Squires-Horton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek H.S.) stole the lead right back for her team draining a bucket from downtown to take a 11-9 lead with just under a minute left in the quarter. The Roadrunners would go on to enter the second quarter up 12-11.
 
Junior Jonalyn Wittwer (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek H.S.) got the second half going for her team scoring one from behind the arch to extend the lead to 15-11.  Wittwer would hit another three for her team a minute later putting the Roadrunners up 18-13.  But the Hardrockers pulled off another comeback scoring the following five to tie the game up at 18 with six minutes remaining in the half.
 
The Hardrockers took a four-point lead over the Roadrunners, but following a layup from senior Georgia Ohrdorf (Wollongong, Australia/St. Mary Star of the Sea College) and another big three from Wittwer the Roadrunners took the lead back. The remainder of the second half stayed close to send the game into half time knotted up at 27 a piece.
 
Ohrdorf led the Roadrunners with a huge first half, scoring 18 points and grabbing five boards. Wittwer finished the half with 11 points.
 
MSU Denver exploded in the third quarter not allowing South Dakota Mines to score in the first four minutes of the quarter while scoring 12 points to take a 39-29 lead.  Ohrdorf scored six of the 12 points to start the quarter.
 
The Roadrunners led by as many as 13 in the quarter but the Hardrockers cut the lead to 48-42 heading into the fourth.
 
Ohrdorf kicked off the fourth quarter adding four more to her huge offensive night.  Wittwer followed by hitting her fourth made bucket from downtown extending the Roadrunners lead back to 13.
 
MSU Denver continued to dominate the rest of the quarter with its largest lead being 17.  The Roadrunners went on to beat the Hardrockers 70-58.
 
Ohrorf scored a season high 27 points, going 13-17 from the field.  Wittwer finished the night with 14 going 4-7 from behind the arch. Junior Jaelynn Smith (Denver, Colo./East H.S.) added 10 points for the Roadrunners.  Senior Mikaela Gordon led the Roadrunners with 11 boards.
 
The Roadrunners will take on Black Hills State tomorrow at 4 p.m.