GUNNISON, Colo. — MSU Denver battled back from a double-digit second-half deficit and forced overtime on the road Thursday evening, but Western Colorado held on late as the Roadrunners fell 71–68 at Paul Wright Gymnasium. MSU Denver moves to 2–8 overall and 1–2 in RMAC play, while the Mountaineers improve to 4–3 overall, 2–1 RMAC.
The night belonged to Mikylah Espinosa, who delivered her best performance of the season with 27 points, reaching a major milestone in the process. Her 26th point of the night pushed her over 1,000 career points, making her the newest member of MSU Denver's 1,000-point club. Espinosa added a season-high five steals and was the engine of the fourth-quarter comeback that kept the Roadrunners alive.
Western Colorado led 50–41 entering the fourth quarter, but MSU Denver steadily chipped away behind Espinosa's attacking downhill play, key defensive stops, and strong interior effort from Brianna Sealy, who recorded her third straight double-digit rebounding game. Sealy finished with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, including several crucial second-chance plays and the assist on MSU Denver's biggest shot of regulation.
Down 57–54 with under a minute to play, the Roadrunners forced a turnover, and with 24 seconds remaining, Nevaeh Millard drilled a clutch three-pointer off a kick-out from Sealy to tie the game at 59–59 and ultimately send the contest to overtime. MSU Denver's defense held strong in the final seconds to complete the comeback push.
In overtime, MSU Denver briefly claimed a 61–59 lead on a fast-break layup by Sealy, assisted by Espinosa, but Western responded with timely buckets and free throws. The Roadrunners continued to battle, with Espinosa scoring five points in the extra period, but a late three from Western's Ivey Schmidt proved decisive. MSU Denver added a final layup with two seconds remaining, but the Mountaineers held on.
Espinosa (27), Sealy (12), and Millard (10) led the way offensively, while Jadyn Watts added eight points and eight rebounds. The Roadrunners shot 84 percent from the line and forced Western into 14 turnovers, helping fuel their late-game push.
