(kferraro@mscd.edu
Photo by Ryan Martin
(martirya@mscd.edu)
Metro men’s basketball team won against Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University Feb. 13 and 14 at the Auraria Events Center.
Fan Appreciation Day, senior night and CBS CollegeSports brought 1,701 fans to watch the Roadrunners (14-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, 20-3 overall) beat rival CCU (8-8 in the RMAC, 13-11 overall) in a close match 74-68.
“This is probably one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen here in four years,” forward Jesse Wagstaff said. “It was good to get a big crowd here.”
An Achilles’ heel for Metro is 3-pointers, however, point guard Marquise Carrington connected on three in the first four minutes of the first half.
“Our game is to get inside out,” Wagstaff said. “The 3-pointers presented themselves, so we shot them.”
The Roadrunners went on a 13-2 run with the help of Carrington’s 3-pointers, but the Cougars roared back with a 16-3 run, taking a two-point lead with 10 minutes left, and was ahead at halftime 36-31.
The Cougars led by nine points in the beginning of the second half, before Carrington scored three more 3-pointers as the Roadrunners went on a 14-5 run. A layup from Wagstaff tied the game at 47.
“Our mentality was to get a lot of 2-pointers,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “They did a nice job of not letting us do that. They opened up a lot of 3-pointers and our guys made them.”
The Roadrunners went on a 9-0 run after the Cougars were ahead by two points. Carrington scored his ninth 3-pointer with six minutes left in the game, giving Metro a four-point lead. Forward Donte Nicholas scored a layup, before Wagstaff hit two free throws, giving Metro a nine-point lead with five minutes left. CCU forward Jobi Wall cut the Roadrunner’s lead by one, however, Metro made 4-of-5 free throws in the final two minutes of the game to seal the 74-68 victory. The game was the last regular season home game for six seniors on the team.
“It’s very sad,” Carrington said. “It didn’t really hit me. I got a little emotional before the game, but it’s a good sad.”
Amongst the 1,701 fans, Carrington’s mother Veronica Carrington, came to Colorado from Philadelphia to watch her son play in his final two home games.
“I am so proud,” Veronica Carrington said. “The words cannot express. I’m going back to Philadelphia with two whole wins. My son, he loves it here. I’m looking to see what God is going to do further and I’m just blessed.”
The Roadrunners have now won 18 consecutive home games against CCU, with the last loss being in 1993. Carrington recorded a career-high nine 3-pointers, in addition to a game-high 29 points, just being four short of his career-high 33 points. His nine 3-pointers also tied a school record, set by Jeremy Ward in 1995.
“He’s a stud,” Wagstaff said about Carrington. “I’ve played with him for four years. He kept us in the game for the whole first half and through the second.”
Wagstaff scored 22 points and added a game-high eight rebounds and four assists, while Nicholas scored 15 points for the Roadrunners. The trio combined for 66 of Metro’s 74 points.
The game was Metro’s first TV appearance which set a regular season home attendance record at the Auraria Events Center. Metro is now ranked No. 18 in the latest NABC/Division II Top-25 Poll, voted by Division II coaches.
Metro also won against CSM Feb. 13, where Wagstaff scored a game-high 22 points. Wagstaff hit 13-of-14 free throws, and pulled away with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Roadrunners will travel to face University of Nebraska at Kearney and Chadron State Feb. 20 and 21 in Nebraska.
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