DENVER – Despite holding the lead for 88 percent of the game, despite another record-setting night by Laolu Oke and despite perhaps the dunk of the year by Maris Colton, MSU Denver was unable to hold off a late charge by Chadron State and lost 78-76 Friday night in what was nonetheless an exciting and entertaining game.
 
"We just didn't make the plays we needed to make to win the game," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said. "We were up 13 in the first half, and they came back and made a run on us and we weren't quite able to respond.
 
"In the second half we lost some discipline defensively with that spread. We knew that's how they played, and give them credit, they made some tough, big shots. They made plays when they had to make them."
 
Oke set a program record by making all 12 of his field goal attempts while scoring a career-high 24 points, and he added 10 rebounds for his 12^th double-double of the season and 22^nd of his career. The best perfect shooting night by a Roadrunner had been the 9-for-9 game by A.J. Flournoy against Western New Mexico on Jan. 9, 2010.
 
"There were a lot of positives, and we did execute a lot of our plays that we wanted to get," Oke said. "We just couldn't pull through at the end. Untimely turnovers and missed free throws, those are things that we have to work on."
 
After Colton's spectacular slam made it 40-29, MSU Denver led 42-29 with three minutes left in the first half. Though Chadron State cut into the deficit with seven straight points, the Roadrunners finished the first half by successfully executing their version of the "Valparaiso Play," with Miles Gibson hitting a jumper after Oke deflected a full-court pass from Colton.
 
"We run that play all the time in practice, you just never know when you're going to have to use it," said Gibson, who scored 20. "Coach called it, and we executed it."
 
Said Bahl: "We made some plays. But it's one of those things where, if you don't get the win, you can't really enjoy it as much."
 
The Roadrunners had several 10-point second-half leads but didn't fall behind until 5:47 remained, at 65-63. It was Chadron State's first lead of the game.
 
"We started off well, but we didn't come back in the second half with the same energy," Gibson said. "We left them with hope, and they ended up finishing it."
 
In the final minute, baskets by Keyshaad Dixon with 18 seconds left and Oke with nine seconds to go kept the Roadrunners within one, though Oke was unable to tie the game with a free throw after being fouled. MSU Denver still had a chance as Chadron State missed a free throw with seven seconds left, but the Roadrunners didn't off a shot due to a turnovers.
 
MSU Denver had two turnovers in its final five possessions and 15 in all.
 
"I thought the guys competed and played hard, but down the stretch they made more plays than us and we can't turn the ball over down the stretch like we did," Bahl said. "Too many turnovers late in the game."
 
The Roadrunners dropped to 13-5 overall and 7-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, sliding from fourth to seventh in the league standings.
 
"It stings, and there's not really much you can say to them," Bahl said. "They all care and want to win. It's one of those things where we have to bounce back and have a short memory and try to take care of business tomorrow against the best team in the league."
 
The Roadrunners play host to first-place Black Hills State (13-4, 11-1) in a 6 p.m. game Saturday at the Auraria Event Center.
 
"We're down because we want to win, but it's just like the next-play mentality, we've got to forgot about this one and move on to the next game," Gibson said. "We have come out ready, same energy, do the same thing, play defense, and we'll be good."
 
Said Oke: "We played very hard. But it didn't go our way, so there's not much we can do about it. We've just got to get some rest and come back tomorrow."