DENVER – It was almost two months ago that the MSU Denver men's basketball team earned two impressive 16-point wins over Colorado Christian and South Dakota Mines during a Tuesday-Thursday stretch.
 
That was December. And that was also at home.
 
Another Tuesday-Thursday card is on tap with those teams this week, but the Roadrunners travel to play Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Colorado Christian and Thursday at 6 p.m. at South Dakota Mines.
 
Tuesday's contest will be the first game in 11 days for MSU Denver (5-6 overall, 5-5 and part of a five-way tied for third in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) after having three games postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
 
"This isn't the first time that has happened to us, and we've gotten better at adapting and staying sharp and adjusting on the fly," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "We're mindful that every time a game is postponed, it hits people differently. You can say it's the new normal, but different people react in different ways. As players and staff, we've done a better job of handling that."
 
Colorado Christian (1-9 both overall and in the RMAC) will be playing for the first time in 24 days. The Cougars' record isn't impressive, but they were playing opponents close before their extended layoff, losing to Westminster 83-77 and to then-No. 9 Colorado Mesa 78-67 the weekend of Jan. 15 and 16.
 
"They've had some time off, and they added some guys at the semester who are playing for them," Bahl said. "So they're a completely different team than the first time we played them, and they play a very dangerous (3-point shooting) style. And anytime you go on the road, it's tough. Colorado Christian is always a tough place to play. They have our respect and we're preparing for them just like anybody else."
 
Meanwhile South Dakota Mines, after a 1-3 start to the season, won six of its next eight games to jump back into the RMAC race. The Hardrockers lost twice last weekend – including in double overtime to No. 9 Mesa – but are part of that five-way tied for third with a .500 record (7-7) in league play.
 
"They're just a solid team, and you have to beat them, because they aren't going to beat themselves," Bahl said. "They lost a lot from last year, and it took them a couple of games to figure out who they were. They've made some adjustments and they are shooting a lot better than when they played us in December. And I don't care who you are playing, going up to play in South Dakota is always tough."