DENVER – MSU Denver trailed for only 2 minutes, 50 seconds Saturday night.
 
But, for the Roadrunners, it was the wrong 2:50.
 
Adams State overcame an 11-point first-half deficit and kept hanging tough, then final took its first lead with 3:20 left. MSU Denver regained the lead briefly, but the Grizzlies moved in front with 2:16 to go and held on for a 68-62 victory that snapped the Roadrunners' five-game winning streak.
 
"Losses like this happen," MSU Denver guard Druce Asah (Tracy, Calif./Tracy) said. "We've just got to brush it off and get back to work."
 
Metropolitan State University of Denver (6-5 overall, 4-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) was left lamenting a loss despite shooting a more-than-respectable 46.3 percent while limiting Adams State (4-8, 4-3) to 39.0-percent shooting. The Grizzlies came from behind to win despite shooting 37.5 percent in the second half.
 
The difference was clear – Adams State had a 12-6 advantage in offensive rebounds and had eight fewer turnovers (17-9). That gave the Grizzlies the chance to take 12 more field goal tries (59 to 47), negating their off-target shooting and the Roadrunners' solid half-court defense.
 
"We've been talking about the little things for the last couple of weeks," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "All the little things finally caught up to us. We didn't know when it would happen, but it finally did.
 
"When you give a team like that opportunities, give them extra possessions when we don't have a chance to score, it catches up to you."
 
For a team that is still relatively inexperienced, MSU Denver's first loss in 29 days can be seen as a learning experience.
 
"When you don't get defensive rebounds, you should be punished for it," Bahl said matter-of-factly. "When you turn the ball over, you should be punished for it. We shouldn't be rewarded the way we have been for those mistakes. This is really the only way you're going to learn. You have to through this process.
 
"I can say, 'Hey, don't turn the ball over.' But when we win by 10 or 12, it doesn't have the same impact as it does as when it finally caught up to us."
 
Adams State, aided by the addition this weekend of 6-foot-9, 250-pound center Miles Banks, a transfer from Division I Incarnate Word, took its first lead on a 3 by Division I Sam Houston State transfer John Dewey, making it 55-54 with 3:20 left.
 
The Grizzlies went ahead to stay on two Davere Creighton free throws that made it 57-56, then added on when Szymon Walczak made free throws with 1:35 to go and then took a charge on the other end.
 
When Dewey banked in a 3 with 58 seconds left to double the lead to 62-56, it became clear that it wouldn't be the Roadrunners' night. The Grizzlies made enough free throws down the stretch to claim their fourth straight win over MSU Denver.
 
Asah led MSU Denver with 12 points, while Garrett Carter (Rialto, Calif./Etiwanda) and Enrique Cortes Zotes each had 10. Kendall McIntosh (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) had nine points and a career-high four blocked shots.
 
Three of the Roadrunners' five losses have been by six points or less.
 
"We're going to be fine," McIntosh said. "We're a very resilient team. We've been through adversity, especially at the beginning of the season."
 
The Roadrunners hit the road next weekend for games Friday night at Dixie State and Saturday night at Westminster. Both teams are 4-7 overall and 2-5 in the RMAC.
 
"It doesn't get any easier," Bahl said. "Both teams are really good at home. Both teams are really well coached. It's going to be a challenge."