DENVER – There's nothing like a good road trip.
 
The MSU Denver men's basketball team heads to South Dakota this weekend for games Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Black Hills State and Saturday at 6 p.m. against South Dakota Mines.
 
"The guys are excited to be on the road," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "It's nice sometimes to go on the road, where it's just 'us,' and where there aren't any outside distractions."
 
The Roadrunners (10-13 overall, 6-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) are looking to repeat the success of their last road game, a 66-59 win over UCCS on Jan. 25.
 
They had a rough two weekends at home in dropping four straight, but are coming off a strong second half against Colorado School of Mines to end the homestand.
 
"We're still trying to figure out our style since we are missing some guys and have had some guys banged up," Bahl said. "We played with great effort against Colorado School of Mines and we're excited to see that continue."
 
Black Hills State is 17-6 overall and is tied for first in the RMAC at 14-3. South Dakota Mines has had a strong second-half surge to improve to 13-7 overall and is tied for fifth in the RMAC at 10-7.
 
South Dakota Mines beat the Roadrunners 80-51 on Jan. 31, while Black Hills State knocked off MSU Denver 83-69 the following night.
 
"Black Hills State is competing for a conference title and we have a chance to play the role of spoilers and maybe put a damper on their season," Bahl said. "And South Dakota Mines has had a really good stretch. So we have a chance to get some wins that a lot of people don't think we can get."
 
The Roadrunners still have a chance to finish in the top eight in the RMAC to earn a spot in the league's postseason tournament. Three teams are tied for seventh at 9-8, three games ahead of MSU Denver with five to play.
 
"Our seniors are excited to play, and those guys want to finish the right way," Bahl said. "We have an opportunity to continue our season. We probably have to win quite a few, but everyone is still playing for something."