DENVER – It's been 40 days (and 40 nights) without a home game, and now the MSU Denver men's basketball team returns to the Auraria Event Center for something other than practice for the first time since Dec. 18 as Chadron State comes to town for a 7 p.m. game Friday.
 
The weekend, which includes a 6 p.m. game Saturday against first-place Black Hills State, kicks off a stretch that includes five straight home games and eight of nine played in downtown Denver.
 
Still, turning up the lights at the venerable old building guarantees nothing. The Roadrunners can't be tempted to let down their guard after 40 days and 40 nights.
 
"We told our guys that we're happy to be back at home, but sometimes you can fall into a trap at home," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "You can't expect to just roll out of bed and play your best basketball. What we learned from being on the road is that things are getting harder. Everyone is fighting for position in the standings and everyone has a chance. No one is out of it. Everyone is trying to knock off a team that's ahead of them.
 
"It's going to be a great February of basketball. I'm glad we're home for most of it, but you can't get too comfortable."
 
Since a 57-52 home win over South Dakota Mines back on Dec. 18, the Roadrunners have gone 4-2 on the road, putting them 13-4 overall and a solid 7-4 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, in fourth place in the league, three games behind first-place Black Hills State. The Roadrunners are only one game behind – and tied in the loss column – with a third-place Colorado Mesa team they have the tiebreaker advantage against.
 
Meanwhile, Chadron State comes in 7-12 overall and 3-8 in the RMAC, but the Eagles' records are deceiving.
 
"They are a very scary and dangerous team," Bahl said. "They were up by (17) against (Colorado School of) Mines, and they lost at the buzzer against Colorado Mesa at their place. They've played a lot of the top teams in our league very tough and had chances to win.
 
"They're scrappy, they play incredibly hard, and Coach (Shane) Paben does a great job. They don't waver from who they are, and that's a great quality to have."
 
As with all RMAC teams, MSU Denver won't look past its Friday game until it's over, but waiting on the other side is Black Hills State, which is 12-4 overall and 10-1 in the RMAC. The Yellow Jackets boast an RMC Player of the Year candidate in 6-foot-7 Joel Scott, who averages 23.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent (20 of 47) from 3-point range.
 
"Coach (Ryan) Thompson does a great job there, and when you have a first team All-American kind of player in Joel Scott, it makes a difference," Bahl said. "We're also looking forward to the challenge of playing some of the top teams in the conference to see where we're at. We want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season and that's what we're getting towards.
 
"But right now, everything is about Chadron State."
 
Like Black Hills State, MSU Denver has a player of the year candidate in Laolu Oke, the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Year who is averaging 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 60.9 percent from the field. The 6-8 forward just won his 13^th career RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award (seven this year, six last year).
 
The Roadrunners are 11-0 this season when Oke ascends to a double-double.
 
But he's gotten considerable help from a balanced starting lineup that includes senior guard Ra'Shawn Langston, who has scored 20 or more in four of the last five games while shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
 
With Langston and the rest of the Roadrunners, though, the focus is making it rain on defense.
 
"Booda (Langston) is playing really well, and he's gotten his legs back after missing a month of the season," Bahl said. "He's an older guy who wanted to come here to play and be part of something. We're still competing for a league championship.
 
"They big thing with him is that he's taking 1.7 charges per game. (Senior) Keyshaad Dixon is right behind him in taking charges, and (senior) Maris Colton is right behind him. Our three seniors are putting their bodies on the line to win, and it's easy for everyone else to fight for those guys moving forward."