(lansing@mcd.edu)
Photo by Linh Ngo
(lngo@mscd.edu)
Metro 83 - UCCS 70, Metro 54 - CSU-Pueblo 57
Metro women’s basketball team got a sweet taste of playoff basketball after winning five of six games to finish out the regular season. But it quickly turned bitter after blowing a nine-point lead with six minutes left March 3 against CSU-Pueblo in a 57-54 loss in the first round of the RMAC Tournament in Pueblo.
The Thunderwolves, who also came in playing at the top of their game riding a six-game win streak, put the clamps on Metro’s offense in the first half.
Metro managed only 23 points in the first frame, including a mere two points from Metro forward Rae Bean, who seemed to be double teamed every time the ’Runners were on offense.
The offense looked lost when they couldn’t find Bean, but Metro’s youthful team might have shown late season growing pains. Freshman guard Jasmine Cervantes committed two fouls in the first minute of the game, while missed layups and ill-advised passes kept the offense off-balanced.“We had trouble making easy shots,” Metro head coach Linda Lappe said. “We had trouble making threes; we had four airballs and I haven’t seen that from our team all year. I think we had a little bit too much energy and maybe too many nerves.”
Pueblo guard Michelle Ambuul tallied 11 first-half points to give her team a 33-23 lead at the intermission.
The Roadrunners came out firing in the second half putting together a 16-4 run to take their first lead since early in the first half. Bean powered her way inside for six of those points.
“We knew our season was on the line,” Metro forward Megan Sinclair said. “We knew we had to come out and play with heart and we just didn’t want to go out without a fight.”
But the run didn’t stop there, as the offense took advantage of poor shooting by the Thunderwolves. The ’Runners pushed their lead up to nine at the 6:57 mark on a mid-range jumper by Bean.
The lead was short-lived as eight turnovers in the next six minutes allowed the ’Wolves to climb back within one with under a minute to go.
After back-to-back misses by Metro, Pueblo had a chance to take the lead with under 30 seconds remaining. Metro’s defense held Pueblo to a long 3-point attempt by Ambuul, who had yet to hit a three since the first half. But after the ball hit off the rim, a late whistle on a foul by Metro guard Chelsea Williamson put Ambuul on the free throw line for a one-and-one chance.
Ambuul drained both giving her team a one-point edge with nine seconds on the clock. On the inbound, Metro freshman guard Leandra Sands tried to pass to half court to where Sinclair was standing, but Draper came up with the steal. Draper went on to drain both free throws for a 57-54 lead with six ticks remaining.
Metro guard Sharaya Selsor’s last-second 3-point attempt hit the rim and the ’Runners season came to an end.
While the Roadrunners shot 42 percent from the floor, the 17 turnovers kept the Thunderwolves in the game. Pueblo also hit 15-of-18 from the charity stripe that won them the game, despite shooting an abysmal 24 percent from the field and 0-of-9 from downtown.
Sinclair led Metro with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Bean had a better second half finishing with 14 points but only three rebounds.
This game was the last time Sinclair would don a Roadrunner jersey. The senior spent her entire four-year career at Metro and said she enjoyed her time on the court, as well as the friends she made off of it.
“It’s been amazing,” Sinclair said fighting back the tears. “I’ve gotten so much more out of Metro than just basketball. I couldn’t have asked for a better season.”
Lappe enjoyed her two years with the 5-foot-11-inch forward from Victoria, Australia.
“She’s a senior that every coach wants to have,” Lappe said. “She’s been a tremendous leader all year; in the locker room and on the floor.”
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