DENVER – Roughly one-third of the way through the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball season, the gap between second place and 14^th place is three games.
 
So it's a big weekend for MSU Denver, which plays host to New Mexico Highlands on Friday at 5 p.m. and CSU Pueblo in its usual 4 p.m. Saturday time slot.
 
The Roadrunners are in that jumbled jungle in the middle of the pack at 4-8 overall and 2-4 in the RMAC. Highlands is off to one of its best starts in several seasons at 9-5 and 3-5, while CSU Pueblo is 8-5 and in a three-way tie for second at 5-2.
 
"It's nice to be back at home," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said. "We've played six (RMAC) games, and only two of them have been at home."
 
While continuing to play short-handed due to injuries and against difficult foes in both in the non-conference and league portions of the schedule, MSU Denver is hoping to put together a strong second half of the season.
 
"It's just about consistency, which it's been for most of the year," Haave said. "There are going to be ebbs and flows in every game, changes in momentum. But, for us, we can't fall off the cliff. We're addressing that."
 
Case in point was last Saturday at Chadron State, when the Roadrunners jumped out to a 17-8 lead but were outscored 32-14 the rest of the first half. They ultimately couldn't overcome the deficit in a 77-70 defeat.
 
"We just have to worry about us and take care of our business," Haave said.
 
New Mexico Highlands, with its three league wins, has already matched its best total in a season since going 5-17 in 2014-15. Second-year coach Garrett Sherman's lineup includes freshman guard Juliana Aragon, who is averaging 14.6 points per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from 3-point range (14 of 29).
 
"They are vastly improved," Haave said. "He's done a great job. They've got some players."
 
CSU Pueblo, which has the second-best regular-season RMAC record (182-83, .687 winning percentage) since Haave became MSU Denver's head coach in 2010-11, has added transfer guard Charisse Fairley of Fresno State to a mix that includes long-time standout JaNaiya Davis.
 
The Roadrunners, who have the third-best RMAC mark in league play in the Haave era (177-86, .673 winning percentage), have gotten steady play from third-year guard Kendra Parra, who shares the conference lead with an average of 18.0 points per game.
 
"It's a good matchup in that we're both guard-heavy," Haave said. "Same with New Mexico Highlands. We like the matchups, but I'm sure they do, too."
 
CSU Pueblo and MSU Denver played two terrific games last season – the Roadrunners won the regular-season meeting in double overtime in the regular season and then made a late push to beat the Thunderwolves in the RMAC Tournament championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
"It is a rematch," Haave said. "But there's a lot of different circumstances. New teams, new season."