DENVER – Sometimes a postponement isn't the worst thing.
"It just gives us more time to prepare for Eastern New Mexico, which is probably a good thing in the long run," MSU Denver coach
Michael Bahl said. "We have two really good teams coming in this weekend."
Metropolitan State University of Denver plays host to Eastern New Mexico on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. before facing Minnesota State-Mankato on Saturday night at 6. The games are part of the Hilton Garden Inn Cherry Creek Classic at the Auraria Event Center.
The Roadrunners had been scheduled to play Colorado College at 1 p.m. Tuesday, but that game was postponed due to snow and hazardous travel conditions.
Eastern New Mexico and Minnesota State-Mankato can create hazardous conditions on the playing floor.
Eastern New Mexico is 0-3, but the Greyhounds are battled-tested after playing exhibition games against Tennessee, New Mexico and Texas-El Paso while losing regular-season games to three undefeated teams: New Mexico Highlands (by one point), Fort Lewis (by five) and Nos. 5 and 4 West Texas A&M (by 15).
"I've watched some of their games and they are playing people really, really close," Bahl said. "The West Texas game was much closer than the score indicates. They've had a tough schedule and they are a dangerous team."
Eastern New Mexico, picked to finish ninth in the 18-team Lone Star Conference this year, was just 13-14 last season. But one of those wins came at Regis, the same Rangers team that went on to tie for second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Minnesota State-Mankato, meanwhile, is merely picked to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Mavericks dipped to 18-12 last season, but still reached the NCAA Division II Tournament for the sixth time in seven seasons.
Since the 2012-13 season, the Mavericks are 167-62. They are 2-2 this season, with neutral court losses to Washburn (Kan.) in overtime and to then-No. 10 Missouri Southern. The Mavericks play Friday at Regis.
As always, the Roadrunners will turn their focus to their second opponent of the weekend after the first game is completed.
"Mankato used to be in our region and we've played them a couple of times," Bahl said. "Everyone sort of knows we host this tournament over Thanksgiving every year, and Denver is a pretty easy place to get in and out of, so I think it's enticing for teams to come down here. Both teams are spending a couple of extra days here. It's a good location and a good tournament. Teams want to play quality basketball, plus it's not a bad place to be for Thanksgiving."
MSU Denver is off to a 1-2 start after dropping games to solid Lone Star Conference teams (one neutral site, one road game) and then winning last week at home against pesky Northern New Mexico.
Druce Asah leads the team with an average of 16.0 points per game, with
Mitch Lombard and
Kendall McIntosh each averaging 10.3. McIntosh leads the team with averages of 7.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks, while Lombard averages a team best 4.7 assists.
Maris Colton, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week, averages a team-best 1.7 steals to go along with 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
A team filled with solid shooters is thus far shooting just 36.1 percent from the field, and Bahl wants that to improve.
"We're making a huge effort to share the ball more, both on the floor in practice and by looking at film," Bahl said. "We don't have to take the first available shot that's given to us. We may have a good shot, but we may want to turn that initial shot down and work to get great shots every time."
