DENVER – For one last weekend, the star-crossed senior class of the MSU Denver men's basketball team will get the chance to compete as teammates, and brothers.
 
MSU Denver's two-game home weekend includes a 7:30 p.m. Friday matchup against New Mexico Highlands and Saturday's 7 p.m. Senior Night contest against CSU-Pueblo at the Auraria Event Center.

"It doesn't matter where, or for what school, or what your record is, Senior Night is a special experience," senior co-captain Cain van Heyningen said. "It's emotional for all of us because it's your last home game. Seniors want to go out like they're supposed to, and all the underclassmen are trying to support the seniors."
 
van Heyningen, a fifth-year senior center, will be honored along with center Kendall McIntosh and guards Druce Asah, Garrett Carter and Mitch Lombard prior to Saturday's game.
 
"It's probably my first true recruiting class, minus Cain," said third-year head coach Michael Bahl, who previously was an MSU Denver assistant coach. "They've come from different backgrounds, two from four-year schools, one from Division I, another from junior college. It's been cool to see their development off the floor, how they've matured and taken care of their business."
 
Expectations were high for this year's team, and rightfully so with virtually every key player returning from a team that just missed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament despite a series of excruciatingly close losses.
 
But pre-season injuries, early-season injuries, season-long nagging injuries, late-season injuries and a couple more of those heartbreaking defeats have led to a season in which the Roadrunners won't play in the postseason.
 
"We have no choice but to keep the right mindset," Carter said. "We don't have negative thoughts about who we are as people or as players. We keep it positive, keep practices competitive and focused, keep the locker room with great energy. We just try to keep going.
 
"We understand the season didn't go as well as we hoped, but we're just trying to stay connected and keep our bond as a family. Because this is bigger than basketball with this team for sure."
 
One of the season's biggest impacts has been the health of Asah, who played through injury most of the season before finally having to shut down. He leaves as the program's all-time leader in free throw percentage (86.1) and is eighth all-time with 124 made 3-pointers despite playing just a little over 1 ½ seasons as a Roadrunner.
 
"Supporting the guys and keeping my mind right, that's what I've been focused on," Asah said. "It's always been fun, and that's what Coach Bahl says we'll always remember and that is what I'll always remember.
 
"We have good memories on the court, too. These are my brothers, and we're always going to remember each other. I'm thankful I was able to play here, thankful for Coach Bahl bringing me out here when I was transferring. This program means a lot to me and it will always have a special place in my heart."
 
Not only will the thrill of a long Asah 3 no longer be seen at MSU Denver, and after this weekend, neither will the spectacular dunks and blocked shots of McIntosh, the breathtaking athleticism of Carter in the open floor, the crafty genius of Lombard driving to the hoop, or the steady and calming presence of van Heyningen in the paint.
 
"All we can do is compete, give the fans a good show, and finish the season right," McIntosh said. "We've got three games coming up (MSU Denver closes the season on the road next week at Chadron State) that we can definitely win. We've just got to go in with a positive mindset.
 
"These guys are my brothers for life. I've definitely created a bond with them over the last three years with Cain and two years with the other guys. I want to stay close with them and always be there for them. It's deeper than basketball."
 
Asah has scored 1,270 career points, including his two-year stay at Cal State East Bay. Carter has scored 962, including two years at Cal State Los Angeles. McIntosh, who redshirted after spending two years at City College of San Francisco, ranks seventh in MSU Denver history with an average of 1.2 blocked shots per game and 14^th with 61 blocked shots despite playing only two seasons.
 
Lombard, who redshirted last year after beginning his college career as a recruited walk-on at Colorado, averages 9.2 points per game while leading the team in assists, steals and field goal percentage.
 
van Heyningen has always been a solid contributor and highly-efficient rebounder who provided a midseason lift to the team when he moved into the starting lineup this season.
 
Asah, McIntosh and Carter all plan to seeking professional playing opportunities after graduation, while van Heyningen is a budding star in the hospitality industry and Lombard has one year of school remaining.
 
"It's bittersweet," Lombard said. "You don't want to ever finish playing. I've always wanted to play college basketball. But we have a good group of guys and it will be nice to see them honored.
 
"This season isn't what we envisioned, but that's just the way it happened. It doesn't make it any worse, though, when you look back at all the guys you played with. It's still college basketball, so we all had a good time."
 
Though the Roadrunners (10-15 overall, 6-13 RMAC) aren't able to go to the postseason, they can have an impact on two teams trying to get there in Highlands (15-9, 10-9) and CSU-Pueblo (10-14, 8-10).
 
"We can be the spoiler," Bahl said. "We have an opportunity to play three more games, two on our home floor, and we don't want to take that for granted. Highlands is eighth (eight teams go to the tournament) and Pueblo is right behind them. It's a big weekend for them, so it's a big weekend for us. We're excited to play and get after it."