GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – MSU Denver put itself in position to pull a first-round upset in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament, but second-seeded Colorado Mesa scored 22 of the game's final 32 points to post a 77-65 victory Tuesday night.
 
"Tonight we fought until the absolute end, and as a coach that's all you can ask for," MSU Denver coach Michael Bahl said.
 
Miles Gibson's driving layup tied the game 55-55 with 8:05 to play, but Mesa scored the next nine points to take control at 64-55 with 4:25 left and the Roadrunners were unable to get closer than seven points the rest of the way.
 
MSU Denver led 32-30 at halftime, but Mesa opened the second half with a 12-2 run to lead 42-34. But the Roadrunners rallied with a 19-9 burst of their own, and Laolu Oke's free throw gave them a 53-50 lead with 10:20 to go.
 
Ra'Shawn Langston led MSU Denver with 21 points, while Gibson added 15, Keyshaad Dixon scored 13 and Oke had nine points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.
 
MSU Denver (17-12) led by as many as five points in the first half, including 30-25 with 1:21 to go before the break.
 
It's expected to be the final game of the season for MSU Denver and the final game of the careers of seniors Dixon, Langston and Maris Colton.
 
"I will always be indebted to Key, Rashawn, and Maris," Bahl said. "They took a chance on us during the recruiting process and they will always be my guys. I really do love them and all those guys in that locker room. We have nothing to hang our head about."