DENVER – By halftime Wednesday, Mario Lacy, Jr. was throwing down alley-oop dunks and the MSU Denver men's basketball team was firing on all cylinders.
 
The Roadrunners had overcome a 12-point deficit to get within 45-42 with a 13-4 run over the final 3:41.
 
But then, in the second half, MSU Denver fell into another deficit – 57-44 after a 12-2 burst – and this time couldn't recover in what was eventually a 78-67 loss to Colorado School of Mines.
 
"They outplayed us in every aspect of the game," MSU Denver guard Brayden Maldonado said. "They outrebounded us, they shot better than us, they played better defense. They wanted it more than we did. We did try and gave as much effort as we possibly could, but when you give a great team that kind of a lead, it's really hard to do."
 
MSU Denver dropped to 8-3 overall and 2-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while Mines improved to 8-3 and 4-1 in a matchup of teams receiving votes in the coaches' national top 25 poll.
 
The Roadrunners have lost three of five games (including three of their last four) since ascending to Nos. 8 and 11 in the national polls after a strong November that included a road upset of then top-10 West Texas A&M.
 
"We've got to learn how to win games against good teams," MSU Denver coach Dan Ficke said. "We played great at West Texas, and I think we kind of rested on that a little bit. We've lost our hunger and our fire, and that's the scary thing that can happen when you get the number (national ranking) next to your name – are you content, or are you going to want more? Young kids, first time in that situation – we really haven't played well (for a full game) since that happened."
 
MSU Denver found itself in an early hole as the Orediggers buried six of their first eight 3-point tries to establish a 24-15 lead. The advantage reached 12 points four times in the first half, the last at 41-29 with just under four minutes to go.
 
But then the Roadrunners came to life.
 
"Our defense ramped up, our intensity was high on that end, and we were able to get out and get easy baskets," Ficke said. "In this league, everyone knows what you're running – they scout the heck out of you, there are great coaches and great teams – so you've got to be able to get as many easy baskets as you can. For us, it's going to come off defense."
 
After the quick start to the second half, Mines built its lead to as many as 18 points.
 
"The biggest part was defense," Maldonado said. "In the first half, we weathered the storm by getting stops when we weren't scoring. Then we came out in the second half and we weren't scoring, and they were scoring a whole lot."
 
Mines shot 55.6 percent from the field in the first half and 54.0 percent (27 of 50) overall. The Orediggers finished 9 of 18 from 3-point range.
 
Meanwhile, MSU Denver had another off night from long range – just as it did in a Friday loss at Black Hills State. The Roadrunners made just 3 of 19 for a season-low 15.8 percent from beyond the arc.
 
"But we still have to get stops," Maldonado said. "We're all basketball players, and we know you're not always going to be hitting shots. You've got to figure out other ways to scratch out wins however you can, and that just didn't happen today."
 
Said Ficke: "It's all about defense. We've got to commit to being a defensive team. Right now we're letting our offense dictate everything – if we're making shots, which we were in November, then we compete defensively. But when you miss three or four in a row, or you can't throw it in from 3 for the whole game, it just deflates us. We have to learn that defense is where we're going to get back in games."
 
Maldonado led MSU Denver with 17 points. KJ Garrett added 15, Lacy had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Marzouq Ibn Abdur-Razaaq scored 11.
 
While those four were a combined 22 of 41 from the field (53.7 percent), the rest of the roster was a combined 3 of 21 (14.3 percent).
 
The Roadrunners don't play again until Jan. 6, at home against Chadron State.
 
"These last five games, we haven't coached them well enough," Ficke said. "Obviously our legs have been tired – you can tell by the shooting numbers. So the break couldn't come at a better time for us. We can get some rest, regroup, lick our wounds a little bit from these last three games and come back for the last 17 games ready to tear it up in January and February."