DENVER – How do you prepare to play two teams that you beat by a combined 71 points five weeks ago?
 
Provide your team updated information.
 
The Metropolitan State University of Denver women's basketball team goes on the road for games Friday at New Mexico Highlands (5 p.m. tipoff) and Saturday at Colorado State University-Pueblo (5:30 p.m.).
 
And while the Roadrunners had one of their best weekends of the season when those two teams came to the Auraria Event Center last month, both opponents are playing much better – not to mention that they will be playing at home – this weekend.
 
MSU Denver rolled past CSU-Pueblo 82-51 on Jan. 18, then beat Highlands 81-41 as Jonalyn Wittwer (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek) set school and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference records by making 11 3-pointers and tied an NCAA Division II record by making nine consecutive 3s.
 
But Highlands was actually ahead in that game 19-8 after the first quarter. And the Cowgirls, though only 3-22 overall and 2-17 in the RMAC, played strong road games last weekend at Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs – even playing UCCS closer on the road than MSU Denver did.
 
"They're much improved," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said. "They're playing together and playing free. You're on the road, they are on their home floor, and they are playing better.
 
"Last weekend should give them confidence. They probably have short memories. Hopefully we do, too. After watching them this past weekend, this will be a good game. They have good players. They're a spunky little team that's playing hard and is doing everything they can. They aren't nearly what their record says they are."
 
Meanwhile, while it appears one more win should clinch a spot in the eight-team RMAC tournament for MSU Denver (13-12, 12-7), only the top four teams in the league earn first-round home games. The Roadrunners are in a three-way tie for fourth with UCCS and Saturday's opponent, CSU-Pueblo (14-11, 12-7).
 
So it's entirely possible that the game with CSU-Pueblo could determine home-court advantage for a first-round matchup between the fourth and fifth seeds. And, as an attention-getter, the ThunderWolves picked up a road victory last weekend at UCCS, which had beaten the Roadrunners the previous week.
 
"They are playing well," Haave said. "And we're on the road. All we can do is try to take care of our business."