DENVER – If the MSU Denver women's basketball team can turn the corner over the last seven weekends of the regular season, it seems likely that senior point guard Jaelynn Smith (Denver, Colo./East) will have much to do about it.
 
And, since it seems there are few, if any, point guards in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference who can turn a corner (or execute a crossover) as well as Smith, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
 
"She can get through this (a small opening) and she can wind around and get layups," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said of Smith's ballhandling wizardry.
 
Said assistant coach David Wells: "That's what attracted us to her originally, that she was so good in tight spots. You just don't see that very often."
 
The Roadrunners (5-10 overall, 4-5 and tied for the 10^th in the RMAC) are preparing for home games Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Colorado State University-Pueblo (8-7, 6-3 and tied for third) and Saturday at 5 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands (3-13, 1-8 and tied for 15^th).
 
The RMAC regular season will be halfway completed after this weekend, and it's reasonable to consider Smith a strong candidate for the league's player of the year.
 
"If we make a run, I think she'll have a chance," Haave said.
 
Smith ranks third in the RMAC in scoring (16.7 points per game), first in assists (5.4), and tied for fifth in steals (1.9) – and she's even 11^th in rebounds (7.0). In league games only, Smith is second in scoring (20.8), first in assists (5.1), tied for second in steals (2.4) and tied for sixth in rebounds (7.2).
 
For comparison, preseason player of the year (as well as preseason defensive player of the year) Denise Gonzalez of Westminster trails Smith in scoring (fourth, 15.6), assists (third, 4.6), steals (16^th, 1.4) and rebounds (42nd, 4.4). In league play, Gonzalez is eighth in scoring (14.6), third in assists (4.5), 19^th in steals (1.5) and doesn't rank in the top 50 in rebounds.
 
But, also for comparison, Gonzalez and Westminster are 11-2 overall and 9-0 and tied for first in the RMAC. And Gonzalez and the Griffins held on for a 73-71 win over MSU Denver last Saturday (Gonzalez had 23 points, one rebound, no assists and two steals while Smith had 22 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals).
 
Other strong player of the year candidates include league scoring leader Jaylyn Duran of Colorado Mesa (22.2 points per game) and Colorado Christian's Jordan Baer, who is second in scoring (20.1), ninth in rebounds (7.1), first in field-goal percentage (56.3) and third in blocked shots (1.3).
 
Twice a second-team All-RMAC selection and a preseason All-RMAC pick this season, Smith will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the program.
 
She has shot up to sixth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,173 points and is on pace to make it to third place by the end of the regular season. Also, she has 454 career assists and needs nine more to overtake Jasmine Cervantes (2008-12) as the program's all-time leader.
 
Haave expected Smith to step up her scoring performance this year after the loss of high-powered scorers Georgia Ohrdorf (Wollongong, Australia/St. Mary Star of the Sea College) and J'Nae Squires-Horton (Colorado Springs, CO/Sand Creek H.S.) from the Roadrunners' NCAA Division II tournament team. But she has far exceeded expectations, even though MSU Denver hasn't done too much to feature Smith.
 
"We set ball screens for her for sure, but we set ball screens for everybody," Haave said. "There is a set that we do run for her. There are a couple of special situations we have for her if we need to score, and she's come through almost every time. She's been remarkable that way."
 
Over her last four games, Smith is averaging nearly a triple-double: 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists. She earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season this week, even though the Roadrunners lost both games.
 
"I think she'd rather win," Haave said. "In fact I know it."
 
Smith hasn't been a one-player show, though.
 
Fellow senior Emily Hartegan (Wylie, Texas/Wylie East) is averaging 17.0 points and 13.3 rebounds over the last four games.
 
" 'J' and Emily are our heart-and-soul, no doubt about it," Haave said. "She has a willingness to put herself out there – Emily, too.
 
"That persistence, that resilience, they both have it. Hopefully that passes on to the group – very determined to keep controlling what they can control and being the leaders through example."
 
There have been contributions from others, too, in the four games since 2019 began. Bree Wellington (Fresno, Calif./Buchanan) scored a career-high 17 points against Fort Lewis. Mikayla Gonzales (Castle Rock, Colo./Castle View) had a career-best 10 rebounds against Adams State. Morgan Lewis (Pagosa Springs, Colo./Pagosa Springs) had seven points and six rebounds while playing 19 second-half minutes against Westminster.
 
Now it's a matter of putting it all together and turning the corner.
 
"We're talking a lot about competing, doing whatever it takes, playing together, playing for each other," Haave said. "We need to execute, but it's that extra little bit of hating to lose more than you love to win."
 
Colorado State-Pueblo comes in to the Auraria Event Center off a disappointing weekend of its own after losing at home to both Western State Colorado and Colorado Mesa.
 
The ThunderWolves are third in the league in scoring (69.9 points per game) and field goal percentage and average a league-best 4.3 blocks.
 
MSU Denver won both meetings last year, including in the first round of the national tournament.
 
"I'm glad we have them first this weekend, on our home floor," Haave said. "I know they had a tough weekend last weekend, so you know that's all the more reason for them to come in here wanting to bounce back. So are we."