DENVER – The Roadrunners got their biggest win of the young season by defeating 17^th-ranked St. Martin's 76-56 in the Thanksgiving Classic at home. 
 
"We are as good as anyone in the country if we play up to the level that we're capable of playing, "Head coach Dan Ficke said after the big win. "Last week we played down, we didn't take that team as seriously as we should of, and we learned a valuable lesson. Every team in this conference and every team in this region is tough to beat."
 
"We had a sour taste from the last lost that we had," said junior guard Jamil Safieddine. "We knew that we just needed to focus on ourselves and to make sure that we didn't beat ourselves. We executed our gameplan really well."
 
The Saints came in with an 8-1 record, having beaten two top-10 teams in 2024. The win improved MSU Denver's record to 4-1 on the season. 
 
After the Saints hit the first bucket of the game to give them a 3-0 lead, MSU Denver then went on a 26-9 run that was capped off by a four-point play from Sufyan Elkannan.  
 
The Roadrunners' bench outscored the starters 47-29 and were led by Safieddine, who hit on 4-of-6 from three-point range to finish with a team-high 16pts. 
 
"It's what we were looking for in recruiting coming into fruition," Coach Ficke said on the depth of this team, "It's something I think we lacked last year that we tried to address in the portal. And in our high school recruiting, how do we make sure that we have the support for our starters to make sure the level of play doesn't drop."
 
"My teammates and coaches have confidence in me," Safieddine said on his performance against the Saints. "They allow me to take those shots and I hit them tonight. I dedicate it to my teammates for getting me open."
 
"Obviously shooting the three has been impressive in 3-of-5 games up to this point," Coach Ficke said on Safieddine's impact on the game tonight. "I like his playmaking ability, and that he is unselfish despite his ability to score. He always has his head up and is always trying to find his teammates." 
 
The home team kept their foot on the gas pedal after halftime, racing out to a 26-6 run to push their lead to 31 points. MSU Denver's lead got to as big as 34 and was helped out by 21 assists on 29 field goals. 
 
Caleb McGill recorded his second double-double of the season recording 10 points and 10 rebounds. Brayden Carter also reached double figures scoring 10 points while pulling down eight rebounds. 
 
Coach Ficke and the squad will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for a 3 p.m. game against Northern New Mexico at the Auraria Event Center.  
 
"To come out here and rebound with a win like that against a quality opponent is huge," Coach Ficke said. "And now we gotta look at our defensive effort, one of our best of the year and build on that."