DENTON, Texas – After a strong start, the MSU Denver women's basketball team couldn't keep pace with 19^th-ranked Angelo State (Texas) on Friday and lost its season-opening basketball game 64-39.
 
The Roadrunners scored 20 first-quarter points, but were limited to 19 the rest of the way and scored just nine second-half points, including three in the fourth quarter.
 
"We were moving the ball well and getting good shots up early," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said. "But they picked up their intensity a bit, and we didn't match it. Then when we couldn't score, the frustration just started to build."
 
Guards Mikylah Espinosa and Mariana Silva Pereira were effective on drives in the first half, and helped keep the Roadrunners within 30-28 late in the second quarter.
 
But Angelo State closed the first half with a 10-2 run for a 40-30 lead, and then the Roadrunners had turnovers on their first five possessions of the second half and couldn't recover.
 
"I'm encouraged with parts of the game," Haave said. "It's just a matter of being able to be consistent, to match the intensity and to execute. We were decent on defense. We've just got to keep fighting."
 
It was the fourth game of the season for an experienced Angelo State team, while MSU Denver had six players making their Division II debuts.
 
Espinosa led the Roadrunners with 14 points, while Silva Pereira had 10. Brianna Sealy had six points and nine rebounds.
 
MSU Denver faces another tough opponent Saturday as it plays 24^th-ranked host Texas Woman's at 3 p.m. MST.
 
"The team we're playing next is just as good as this one," Haave said. "The schedule didn't do us any favors, but we're going to see where we need to be. It's a great learning experience."