DENVER – In perhaps a primer for what could be in store for the postseason, MSU Denver edged South Dakota Mines 83-80 Friday night in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball nailbiter.
 
"The first thing I told the guys in the locker room after the game was, 'That's RMAC basketball in February,'" MSU Denver coach Dan Ficke said. "It was a top-eight matchup. They're a good team, they're well-coached, and they've got a lot of shot-makers. There's never an easy night in this league, especially this time of year.
 
"It's a great win. February is all about finding a way to win. Survive and advance."
 
MSU Denver improved to 14-7 overall and 8-7 in the RMAC.
 
KJ Garrett, taking advantage of a favorable matchup, scored on back-to-back driving layups to put the Roadrunners in front 74-73 with 2:31 left in the game, the team's final made field goals of the game.
 
"He had just scored on me and had some choice words, and I didn't take it lightly," Garrett said. "I wanted to go back at him. I didn't make it personal, though, because I wanted to get the win."
 
Said Ficke: "KJ made some big-time plays getting to the rim and finishing.
 
"We felt as a staff that we had an advantage in the paint, whether it was off the drive or in the post. We wanted our guys to keep attacking. They couldn't guard KJ all game and we wanted him to be aggressive."
 
South Dakota Mines (9-12, 7-8) did edge back in front with two free throws, but Brayden Maldonado was fouled and put MSU Denver ahead 76-75 with 1:15 to play.
 
The Roadrunners got two stops defensively and Maldonado was fouled and made two more free throws after the second stop, giving the Roadrunners a 78-75 lead with 34.9 seconds left.
 
Quave Propst-Allison added two free throws for an 80-77 lead with 20.2 seconds to go, and Caleb McGill made two more to make it 82-79 with 5.9 seconds left. Garrett's free throw with 2.0 seconds left finally iced it.
 
"No game is easy, and that's a really good team we played against," Maldonado said. "Leading into March, we want to be playing our best basketball, and we have to be prepared to play close games like this and get everyone's best shot. A win is a win, whether we win by one or win by 20, it's all the same to me."
 
Maldonado topped 20 points for the third consecutive game, finishing with 23 while making 8 of 16 from the field and 6 of 6 at the line.
 
McGill added 18 points and nine rebounds, Garrett scored 13 while making 5 of 6 from the field, and Mario Lacy, Jr., contributed 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
 
"It's a big relief," Garrett said. "We've been working on this in practice all week, emphasizing how big these games were and that we need to get them. We played together, took their punch and executed late in the game."
 
The Roadrunners have another huge home game Saturday at 5:30 p.m. against Black Hills State, which upset Colorado School of Mines on Friday.
 
In the scramble for fourth place and what would be the final first-round home game in the RMAC Tournament, Black Hills State is fourth at 9-6, Regis is fifth at 9-7 and MSU Denver and Chadron State are tied for sixth at 8-7.
 
"Tonight is how you've got to win when you get to March," Ficke said. "It's not always pretty. And we want to learn how to win in March while we're in February."