DENVER — MSU Denver men's basketball put together a gritty effort Thursday evening inside the Auraria Events Center, but the Roadrunners came up just short in a 74–70 loss to Colorado Mesa in RMAC action.

MSU Denver (7-14, 5-8 RMAC) trailed by six at halftime before mounting a strong second-half push, battling back to make it a one-possession game multiple times in the final minutes. Despite the late surge, the Roadrunners were unable to close out the comeback against the Mavericks.

Logan Threatt led the way offensively for MSU Denver, finishing with a team-high 16 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Threatt was a steady presence throughout the night and delivered several key baskets during the Roadrunners' second-half rally.

Amare Bethel added 12 points, along with three rebounds and three assists, while Brian Unachukwu provided a strong interior presence, recording eight rebounds and two blocks to anchor the defense. Quave Propst-Allison directed the offense, dishing out a team-best five assists, including several that fueled the late comeback attempt.

The Roadrunners showed balance on the offensive end, with nine different players scoring, and took a significant step forward in ball security. MSU Denver committed just seven turnovers, a major improvement after turning the ball over 33 times in its previous contest.

MSU Denver's resilience was on full display down the stretch, cutting the deficit to just two points with under a minute remaining, but Colorado Mesa sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

The Roadrunners will look to carry the positive momentum from Thursday's performance into their next outing on Saturday, when they will take on Western Colorado at 3 p.m. MT.