RAPID CITY, S.D. — The MSU Denver women's basketball team delivered its most dramatic finish of the season Saturday afternoon, as Mikylah Espinosa's buzzer-beating layup lifted the Roadrunners to a 57-56 road victory over South Dakota Mines.

With the win, MSU Denver improves to 12-12 overall and 10-6 in RMAC play, reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season while securing its third straight conference victory.

In a tightly contested defensive battle throughout, neither team was able to create much separation. The Roadrunners leaned on timely stops and interior presence to stay within striking distance, setting the stage for a clutch fourth quarter.

After South Dakota Mines hit a go-ahead basket with just six seconds remaining, MSU Denver called a timeout. Out of the break, Espinosa attacked the rim and finished through contact as time expired, sealing the one-point victory and silencing the home crowd.

Espinosa finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with two steals and a block, capping her performance with the biggest shot of the afternoon. She was one of three Roadrunners to reach double figures in scoring as the offense found balance when it mattered most.

Brianna Sealy was dominant on the glass, finishing just shy of a double-double with nine points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. Keira Mitchell, the back-to-back RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, once again anchored the paint with a staggering six blocks while adding six rebounds.

The fourth quarter proved decisive. MSU Denver shot 50 percent from the field in the final frame, executing efficiently in crunch time to erase the late deficit. The defensive intensity remained constant, as both teams struggled offensively for much of the afternoon in what turned into a grind-it-out conference showdown.

With momentum building and confidence growing, the Roadrunners now return home next weekend for a pair of RMAC matchups looking to continue their late-season surge.