Denver- The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's basketball team fell just short against UCCS on Tuesday night, with the Mountain Lions taking the 49-46 victory.  The Roadrunners fell to 13-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play.  The Mountain Lions improved to 6-13 and 7-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
The first quarter was slow to get rolling, as the first field goal didn't come till four minutes into the first with UCCS breaking the seal. The Mountain Lions would go on to lead most of the quarter but the Roadrunners tied the game up at 11. UCCS pulled out on top 13-11 heading into the second.
 
The Roadrunners took the lead three minutes into the quarter with sophomore Bree Wellington (Fresno, Calif./Buchanan High School) and senior J'Nae Squires-Horton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek H.S.) scoring a pair to take a one-point lead.
 
The remainder of the half would stay close with the Mountain Lions having the largest lead at 24-19.  UCCS would end the half on top 24-21.
 
Squires-Horton led all scorers at half with seven. Senior Mikayla Gordon added six for the Roadrunners.
 
UCCS started the second half off strong scoring its first nine points of the half all from downtown to take a 10- point lead over the Roadrunners.
 
MSU Denver fought back to go on a 9-0 run of their own to cut the gap to just one with one minute left in the third. The Mountain Lions broke the run with 45 seconds to end the quarter on top 37-34.
 
Junior Jonalyn Wittwer (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek H.S.) brought a spark to begin the final quarter, scoring one from behind the arch to tie the game up at 37.  The following minutes stayed close with the two sides evenly exchanging buckets.
 
The Mountain Lions held a three-point lead with just over three minutes left in the game, when Squires-Horton came up big, knocking down a three to tie the game up at 43.  Following two made free throws from UCCS, senior Emily Hartegan (Wylie, Texas/Wylie East H.S.) converted a three-point play for the Roadrunners to take a 46-45 lead.
 
MSU Denver made several big stops on the defensive end, but was unable to capitalize on the offensive end on the following possessions.
 
UCCS was able to score another pair of free-throws to take a one-point lead with under a minute to play.  With 20 seconds remaining in the game the Roadrunners had possession but was unable to score the go-ahead points needed.
 
With seven seconds left on the game clock the Roadrunners got one last crack at it but fell just short, as the Mountain Lions took the 49-46 win.
 
Squires-Horton led the Roadrunners with 10 points. Hartegan led the team with seven rebounds.
 
MSU Denver will take on Westminster in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, January 26 at 5:30 p.m.