Metro dominates on defense

Written by Eric Lansing
(lansing@mscd.edu)
Photo by Andrew Bisset
(abisset1@mscd.edu)

All the hype on campus was the nationally televised game Feb. 14 featuring the men’s basketball team. But the Metro women’s basketball team staked their claim for national attention after two double-digit wins against the Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University at the Auraria Events Center.

“I was very proud,” Metro head coach Linda Lappe said on her team’s convincing victories. “It was a big weekend for us. We lost both of these games the first time around and to come back like we did with intensity and focus was amazing. It was an all around team effort.”

The more amazing win came against one of the hottest teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. CSM came into the contest sporting the best record in the RMAC East Division and riding a seven-game win streak.

The first half showcased Metro’s third-ranked defense that made an impressive showing by holding the Orediggers to a mere 16 points and to an abysmal 18 percent shooting from the field.
“We worked all week on their back screens,” Metro forward Kiley Gill said. “We were trying not to get beat back door and not getting beat on screens, which is how they beat us last time.”

The Roadrunners jumped out to a 21-9 lead early in the first half. The game was tied at five apiece before Gill came into the ball game. The reserve used her time wisely hitting on a couple of 3-pointers and a layup to spur the run.

The junior scored 10 of her career high in the first half and helped her team to a 36-16 lead at the half.

Mines’ highly skilled forward Emily Dalton, who averages 14 points per game, did not record a single field goal or free throw in the first half. Metro’s defense kept the senior from connecting on her first field goal until 4:40 off the clock in the second half.

The Orediggers cut Metro’s lead to 10 with 10 minutes left in the ball game. The ’Runners quickly responded on a 3-pointer by Metro guard Sharaya Selsor. The home team then reeled off a 17-6 run to bring the lead back up to 23 and Mines never got closer than 17 the rest of the way.

Metro took the 71-49 victory, as four ’Runners scored in double figures, while out-rebounding the ’Diggers 38-26. Metro guard Jasmine Cervantes led the team with 17 points and three steals.
The early 20-point game might not have been in Lappe’s game plan, but the way her team played in the first half was vital in pulling off the upset.

“We were just hoping to win,” Lappe said. “The 20-point lead was a surprise, but really watching them execute on offense and defense, it wasn’t a surprise after watching that. We came ready to play and when we do that, we’re hard to beat.”

They may have been hard to beat versus Mines, but they were unstoppable the following night as six Roadrunners hit the double-digit mark in an 84-67 rout of CCU.

“We did a great job of spreading around the wealth,” Lappe said. “We answered every single run they threw at us with a big shot. It’s tough to guard an entire team when everyone is contributing.”

In their previous meeting with the Cougars, Metro had a hard time finding their shooting rhythm in a 71-61 loss. But this past weekend’s win, they shot a stellar 50 percent from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.

Lappe explained that the team passed the ball well racking up 21 assists, which leads to easy buckets and open 3-pointers. Metro is ranked third in the RMAC in assists per game.

The wins improve Metro’s record to 9-6 in the RMAC and currently sit tied for the fifth spot in the conference tournament. The Roadrunners will travel to Nebraska Feb. 20 and 21 to take on University of Nebraska at Kearney and Chadron State, and will also play Regis University Feb. 24 in Denver.