GOLDEN, Colo. – MSU Denver gave up the first 11 points of the game, but survived and even took a first-half lead.
 
But the Roadrunners weren't able to repeat the feat when Colorado School of Mines scored the first 13 points of the second half.
 
The Orediggers' early second-half burst proved to be the difference Friday night in a 61-52 decision in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball.
 
"We played incredibly hard and just came up short," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "We have another great opportunity tomorrow to get a road win and a split on the weekend. That's 100% what our focus is right now."
 
MSU Denver (9-9 overall, 5-7 RMAC) responded immediately the Mines' game-opening run with 11 straight points of its own to forge a tie. And the Roadrunners led by as much as 23-20 in the first half and by 27-25 near the end of the half before Mines scored a late basket to force a halftime tie.
 
But the early second-half run proved to be too much to overcome.
 
The Roadrunners got within 50-45 on a Christian Wilson-Poole 3-pointer with 5:39 left and got it back to five points again at 55-50 on a Mitch Lombard basket with 1:59 to go but could get no closer.
 
Mines improved to 12-7 overall and 8-4 in the RMAC.
 
Wilson-Poole led MSU Denver with 13 points while making a season-best three of his four 3-point tries. Garrett Carrett added 10 first-half points and had three steals, while Demetrius Jackson and Elijah Straughter each scored nine.
 
MSU Denver is back in action Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at UCCS (11-6, 7-5).