DENVER – Cain van Heyningen is just doing what he's supposed to do.
 
Maybe not coincidentally, so is the MSU Denver men's basketball team.
 
Since the 6-foot-8 van Heyningen moved into the starting lineup six games ago and saw his minutes basically double, the Roadrunners have responded with two home wins and two valuable road splits, going 2-2 away from the Auraria Event Center and 4-2 overall.
 
"He's been great for us," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "He's a guy who has been here five years and he's really been a rock, just Mr. Consistency. He's one of the hardest workers on our team. He's earned this opportunity and he's really made the most of it, specifically with his defense and rebounding."
 
High praise for a guy who is averaging only 3.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game as a starter.
 
But it goes beyond mere numbers.
 
"I play defense, get rebounds, get my teammates open, finish if I happen to get the ball under the basket," van Heyningen said. "I'm not necessarily the type of player who looks to score – that's been evident. But I want to set the tone defensively, bring energy, lead guys – I'm a captain for a reason."
 
As the Roadrunners (10-9 overall, 6-7 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) prepare for a critical four-game homestand the begins with games Friday at 7:30 p.m. against South Dakota Mines (9-10, 6-7) and Saturday at 7 p.m. against Black Hills State (14-5, 11-2), they hope van Heyningen continues to be one of their most efficient players.
 
For the season, van Heyningen has played only 140 minutes, but he has 42 points, 51 rebounds and six blocked shots. Project those numbers out over 40 minutes and he averages 12.0 points, 14.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots.
 
"I never look at numbers," van Heyningen said. "Win or loss. That's it in my book."
 
But another number also stands out. He's shooting a remarkable 74.1 percent on field goals (20 of 27). That's right, field goals and not free throws.
 
"That's just stupid," Bahl marveled.
 
Said van Heyningen: "I haven't shot the ball many times, but I make sure that every shot that I take is sensible. That's why my percentage is high."
 
After playing just a handful of minutes per game for the first 13 games of the season, van Heyningen moved into the starting lineup Jan. 10 against then-No. 19 Dixie State. Van Heyningen played only 11 minutes, but the Roadrunners earned the win and he's stayed in the starting lineup ever since. He's played between 14 and 23 minutes the last four games.
 
"Coach Bahl is going to do what he thinks is best for the team and what gives us the best chance to win," van Heyningen said. "It's about who gives us the best chance of winning and who plays in the most effective way.
 
"For me, starting instead of sitting out the first few minutes is most effective for the way I play and the energy I bring. Kendall McIntosh is an amazing player, and I think he has been better when he sees the game for the first few minutes before going in there. This just seems to be what is best for the team right now."
 
Said Bahl: "He proved over time that he deserved to play more. We challenged him at practice, and he accepted it. He never complained, he just wanted to help the team."
 
What would help the team now is to continue winning at home.
 
Despite doing what has been needed (win at home, split on the road) for three straight weeks and four of the last five, the Roadrunners are still stuck in a 10^th place tie with nine games left in the regular season. The top eight teams advance to the RMAC Tournament and in the tightly-packed league, MSU Denver is one game out of tie for sixth and two games out of tie for fourth.
 
"We've put ourselves in a position where we're playing for something, like a lot of teams in the league," Bahl said. "We're hitting our stride and we have six of our last nine games at home. Everything is really in our hands, and that's all you can ask for as a team. We don't have to rely on anyone else but ourselves."
 
Said van Heyningen: "We're looking to get all sweeps, of course, all nine games. But a split is desired on the road. But we're going to go for of them. And if we take care of business at home and do what we need to do on the road – sweep or split – that will put us in a good position to be near the top of the RMAC and to continue."