SPEARFISH, S.D. – Their star rebounder having fouled out, their leading scorer sidelined, having squandered a seven-point lead with just over minutes left, on the road and in overtime, the MSU Denver Roadrunners found a way.
 
Tyrei Randall scored a career-high 23 points and Reggie Gibson had a career-high 18 as MSU Denver hung tight and defeated Black Hills State 84-83 Friday night.
 
"That's the best TEAM WIN we have had in a long time," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "We were down players due to injury and foul trouble, and we had guys who stepped up big. That's a big-time road win for the program. We played very hard and that's all I asked of our guys. And they came through."
 
Laolu Oke was still incredible, with 16 points, 16 rebounds (his fifth double-double of the season) and three steals in only 24 minutes of action due to foul problems. But momentum shifted slightly when Oke fouled out on a Black Hills State three-point play that cut the Roadrunners' lead to 69-65 with 2:11 left in regulation.
 
But the Roadrunners (5-6 overall, 5-5 and tied for fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) took control in overtime, with Keyshaad Dixon hitting a jumper, and then Randall draining a 3-pointer for a 76-73 lead with 3:46 to go.
 
Then backup point guard Reggie Gibson began putting the finishing touches on his masterpiece game, scoring on a driving layup, then assisting on Maris Colton's layup for an 80-73 lead with 2:14 left. But again, up seven with just over two left wasn't quite safe enough.
 
Black Hills State got within 80-79 with 36 seconds to go, but then Gibson hit two free throws with 25 seconds left, and then he hit two more with 14 seconds left after Black Hills once again got within one.
 
The Yellow Jackets got one more field goal and the Roadrunners missed two free throws with four seconds left, but Black Hills State couldn't get off a potential game-winning shot before the buzzer.
 
Back to Gibson.
 
He scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime. He had scored 11 second-half points in the season opener, but only four points since while appearing in only three other games, in part due to injury and in part because of the Roadrunners' deep backcourt rotation.
 
But Black Hills State had no answer for him Friday as he penetrated and pitched, or floated and finished.

"Reggie has always had confidence in himself and is a competitor," Bahl said. "He's had his ups and downs this year and give credit to him and his ability to rise to the challenge when his number got called. Next man up, and I couldn't be more proud of that young man."


Randall showed his fine shooting form while knocking down 4 of 7 from long range in his career game. Steady point guard Dixon played 43 minutes, scoring a career-high tying 13, and Maris Colton came back from his second injury of the season to start and play 37 minutes in just his fifth game.
 
Mavrick Gildyard (14.4 points per game) was out, so Xavier Ughutevbe played a season-high 21 minutes, providing strength and defense.

"Xavier and Maris also stepped up big time," Bahl said. "With Laolu getting in foul trouble and Mavrick sitting out those guys really showed up tonight."