DENVER - It wasn't always pretty as MSU Denver trailed by 8 at halftime 38-30, and one had to wonder if there was a bit of emotional hangover from all the Senior Day festivities. Defensively, they were getting killed from the perimeter as the Hardrockers nailed 9 triples in the first half. On the glass, the RMAC's best rebounding team only held a 19-17 lead in that category.
However, a sleeping giant woke up in the second half as MSU Denver turned on the burners and flipped what was an 8-point halftime deficit into a 4-point win as they outscored the Hardrockers 42-30 in the second. Caleb McGill fueled the Roadrunners with his own personal 7-0 run as MSU Denver cut the deficit to one at 45-44. The rebounding battle, which was two at halftime, ballooned to 15 by the end of things as the Roadrunners controlled the glass and finished with a 38-23 lead and only allowed a total of six boards in the final 20 minutes. This dominant display also helped MSU Denevr finish with a 36-22 edge in the paint.
It was a day of celebrations as five seniors were honored at center court alongside their friends and family. #1 KJ Garrett, #3 Sufyan Elkannan, #4 Brayden Carter, #5 Ryan Maslow, and #24 Caleb McGill are set to graduate this year, and all five have played integral roles in helping the Roadrunners reach a 18-6 record - one shy of tying last season's win total, and where they sit third in the RMAC currently. What shouldn't be overlooked is that MSU Denver will have a chance to host a playoff game in the conference tournament due to their outstanding play.
This team will play their last regular season home game at the Auraria Event Center this coming Tuesday, February 18th versus Colorado School of Mines. MSU Denver fell in Golden last month by a score of 70-66, and they are looking forward to their rematch vs the #1 team in the RMAC.
Key Players
MSU Denver:
Caleb Mcgill - 21 points 7 rebounds on 9-11 shooting and 3-4 from three
Ryan Maslow - 11 points 5 rebounds on 4-7 shooting and 3-6 from three
Brayden Carter - 16 points 12 rebounds on 5-9 shooting and 6-7 from three (7th double double)
South Dakota Mines:
Tre Dowdell - 20 points 3 assists 2 steals on 7-11 shooting and 3-4 from three
Keagen Smith - 14 points 5 rebounds 3 steals on 6-14 shooting
