DENVER – Sometimes a couple of steps forward are followed by a step back.
 
The MSU Denver women's basketball team, which showed encouraging signs in back-to-back heartbreaking losses just before the holiday break, was not at its best last week in a 78-63 loss to Chadron State in which the Roadrunners surrendered 32 third-quarter points.
 
The Roadrunners will look to keep moving forward again this weekend with games Friday at 5 p.m. at New Mexico Highlands and Saturday at 4 p.m. at CSU Pueblo.
 
"We still haven't established our identity," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said. "Sometimes against teams we aren't expected to beat, we play well because we have nothing to lose. Against teams we match up well against, we get worried and don't play as well.
 
"Right now, we're focused on staying in the moment and looking forward no matter what. We don't want to worry about what just happened in the game, or in practice. Take and learn what you can, but then have amnesia about it. We want to have fun playing, have fun playing together, and have fun competing together. That's the message for our team."
 
MSU Denver is 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
New Mexico Highlands is 4-10 and 3-5. The Cowgirls have shown steady progress over the past couple of years.
 
"(Juliana) Aragon is their leading scorer, but they have a lot of players averaging seven or eight points a game, which is similar to Chadron," Haave said. "On the road they haven't been as good, but they are dangerous at home. We have to be ready to play."
 
CSU Pueblo is 8-7 overall and 3-4 heading into a Friday night game against Colorado School of Mines, ranked in the national top 10. The Thunderwolves are led by Alisha Little, who averages 18.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots per game.
 
"We can't let them get going," Haave said. "We have to keep it a halfcourt game and keep them off guard. Alisha Little is playing really, really well and we have to be able to try to contain her."