Grand Junction, Colo.- The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's basketball team defeated Colorado Mesa 69-65 on Saturday, December 30. The Roadrunners improved to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Mavericks fell to 10-3 overall and 4-3 in conference.
Senior J'Nae Squires Horton got the game going for the Roadrunners scoring the first bucket of the game on the teams first possession, but the Mavericks would go on to take the lead and were able to sustain it throughout the first half.
The score remained close in the first quarter until the Mavericks started to break away with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter going on a 7-0 run to take a eight-point lead. However, the Roadrunners answered back scoring the next four, but the Mavericks were able to keep an eight-point lead heading into the second quarter at 22-14.
The Roadrunners started off strong to begin the second quarter with junior
Emily Hartegan (Wylie, Texas/Wylie East H.S.) nailed one from downtown to bring the score back within five. MSU Denver was able to bring the score within four with just over five minutes left on the first half clock, but the Mavericks would go on another run to lasting just over a minute to take an 11-point lead.
The Roadrunners were unable to catch the Mavericks in the first half, heading into halftime at 44-33 with Colorado Mesa on top.
Horton led the Roadrunners at half with nine points. The Mavericks shot 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arch in the first half and held the Roadrunners to 36 percent from the field and 18 percent from the three-point line.
The Roadrunners brought the energy in the third quarter outscoring the Mavericks 9-2 in the opening minutes. A three-pointer from Squires-Horton would bring the score within four with half the quarter still to play out.
Jaylyn Duran from Colorado Mesa scored two from downtown in the the final two minutes of the quarter to extend her teams lead to 54-46. The Mavericks were able to keep an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Roadrunners had another great start to the fourth quarter going on a 6-0 run cutting the lead to 58-54 lead with seven minutes remaining in the game. MSU Denver continued to push on the offensive end and stopping the Mavericks on the defensive end of the court. A huge shot from downtown from junior Jaelyn Smith would tie the game up at 64 with 1:39 left on the clock. Following a pair of made free throws from junior
Jonalyn Wittwer (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek H.S.) the Roadrunners took its first lead since the very beginning of the game.
Three more made free throws from Wittwer would seal the deal for the Roadrunners taking the game 69-65. The Roadrunners outscored the Mavericks 21-9 in the fourth quarter to take the comeback win.
Three Roadrunners finished in double figures. Smith finished the night with 17 points. Squires Horton scored 18 points for the Roadrunners and Hartegan added 14 points and five boards.
The Roadrunners will return to action next Friday, January 6 at Fort Lewis at 5:30 p.m.
