GOLDEN, Colo. – They're not done yet.
 
They wouldn't allow it.
 
The MSU Denver women's basketball team, down by 10 points in the first half and maybe – depending on whose opinion you trust – fighting for a chance to advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament, took all doubt out of the equation Saturday night.
 
With tour de force performances by Morgan Griego and Tosjanae Bonds and clutch play after clutch play from a surrounding cast more than ready for the challenge, the Roadrunners rallied to defeat CSU-Pueblo 76-68 Saturday night for their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament championship since 2005.
 
And they're going to the NCAAs as the league's automatic qualifier.
 
"The first half we settled in, and then we just played Metro basketball," Griego said. "It never felt like we were down. The attitude on the court was, 'OK, next play.'"
 
Said Coach Tanya Haave: "It was a belief. They kept talking about belief. And they weren't going to be denied."
 
Griego earned tournament most valuable player honors, capping off the three-game run with a career high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds and two steals.
 
"She wasn't going to be denied," Haave said. "Hitting tough shots. Getting tough rebounds. Playing like a senior is supposed to play."
 
Griego, who had matched a career best with 21 points in Friday's semifinal win, averaged 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds during the tournament. She did it Saturday while making 9 of 15 from the field, displaying an assortment of half-fakes, leaners and floaters just over the outstretched arms of defenders – or shots that were en route before defenders knew they were coming.
 
"I'm definitely unorthodox," Griego said. "I just keep going until coach tells me to stop."
 
Bonds provided her usual surge of non-stop energy while scoring her career high of 17 points and also playing her brand of relentless defense.
 
"I just wanted to put out for our seniors," Bonds said. "I wanted them to walk away with something to remember. I wanted to play aggressive. Play for our coach, play for my team, and get those 50-50 balls."
 
Bonds joined Griego on the all-tournament team, as did forward Allie Navarette and guard Alex Carlton.
 
Down 29-19 in second quarter, MSU Denver (22-8) showed that it wasn't going away by scoring 14 of the half's final 20 points, including a huge momentum builder as Carlton made a steal near halfcourt and drove for the layup that got her team within 35-29 just before the buzzer.
 
By the end of a back-and-forth third quarter, the Roadrunners had gotten within two points, 50-48, on Carlton's floater over 6-foot-1 shot blocker Alisha Davis.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, Bonds stole an offensive rebound out of Davis' hands and kicked it to Griego for a 3-pointer, getting the Roadrunners within 53-51.
 
And finally, Bonds drove, scored and was fouled with 8:21 to play. She made the free throw to give MSU Denver its first lead of the game, at 54-53.
 
"I need to do what I can do," Bonds said. "That's the best thing I can do. I'm a driver."
 
The lead changed hands twice, and it was tied 62-62 with 4:47 left, but Carlton put the Roadrunners ahead to stay at 64-62 on the next possession while a half hook in the lane.
 
Navarette hit two free throws, then Griego hit three of them after being fouled on a 3 with the shot clock running down for a 69-63 lead with 1:43 left.
 
Starting with Navarette's charities, the Roadrunners made 12 straight free throws, until Bonds missed one that was of no consequence with six seconds to go.
 
By then it was time to celebrate.
 
"Just seeing it all come together and seeing us all weather the storms – whether it was a couple of tough losses or tonight being outscored for a while and just staying together – it was really special," Griego said.
 
And to think, on Tuesday, this was a team heading off to play on the road at Westminster, a team that it had lost against twice, with its season on the line. MSU Denver was ranked ninth in the region, and only eight teams advance to the NCAAs.
 
"At Westminster I was thinking, 'I'm not ready to be done yet,'" Griego said. "We can keep going. We can control that.
 
"Seeing ninth, it just fueled a fire. We know we're better than that. There are always ups and downs and we know there are some downs that put us there. But this is the perfect time to peak. We're on the right track. Everyone's attitude was, 'Yeah, we're ninth, but this week we're going to prove we're not.' The championship was one of our goals and we got it, and now we're on to the next."
 
MSU Denver is off to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Roadrunners' seeding and opponent in the South Central Regional will be revealed at 8 p.m. Sunday, during the NCAA Selection Show.
 
"Just the fight and the refuse to lose mentality that we've had … we've had it this whole week," Haave said. "We weren't going to be denied. I'm so proud of our group. It was a total team effort."