Metro wins first round

Written by Kate Ferraro
(kferraro@mscd.edu
Photo by Brittney Hanze
(bhanze@mscd.edu)

Metro 84 - UCCS 78, Metro 86 - UCCS 76

Metro men’s basketball took the first game of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout against University of Colorado at Colorado Springs March 3 at the Auraria Events Center.

Earlier in the season, the Roadrunners (19-1 in the RMAC, 25-3 overall) beat the Mountain Lions (10-10 in the RMAC, 10-18 overall) 92-81. Metro and UCCS met once again Feb. 28 for the last regular season game in Colorado Springs where the Roadrunners beat them one more time 86-76. Metro guard Brian Minor said he believes even though it was the third time playing UCCS, it wasn’t easier the third time around.

“It gets harder and harder every time you play a team over and over,” Minor said. “It’s been getting tougher and tougher every game.”

Metro began their third meeting with the Mountain Lions with the score going back and forth. The Roadrunners went on a 13-3 run for a 32-18 lead with seven minutes left in the first half.

The Mountain Lions were scoreless on their last 11 straight possessions. UCCS roared back going on a 13-6 run closing the Roadrunners lead to only seven points with the score of 38-31 at halftime. Metro shot 53.6 percent from the floor and forced 11 turnovers.

With the Roadrunners ahead 46-39 only four minutes into the second half, the two teams had a 3-pointer duel. UCCS guard Ben Feilmeier buried a three cutting the Roadrunner’s lead to 46-42, but Metro guard Marquise Carrington answered right back with his own 3-pointer. UCCS guard Jordan McClung scored another 3-pointer for the Mountain Lions, but again Carrington responded maintaining a seven-point lead at 52-45.

“We definitely pick it up when we need to,” Minor said. “We started off slow and then the second half, we definitely picked up our defense, which helped a lot.”

The Mountain Lions scored eight of their last nine points to tie the game at 53 with 12 minutes left. The Roadrunners went on a 12-1 run opening their lead to 10 points. With five minutes left, Carrington hit a 3-pointer, and then stole the ball from the Mountain Lions on their next possession and hit a 19-foot jumper to put Metro ahead by 11 at 76-65.

“Marquise (Carrington) has been a leader of this team,” head coach Brannon Hays said. “He does just a great job of getting the team going and getting guys involved in the offense. When we do need to hit a shot, he’ll hit a shot and he came through big in the second half.”

Despite only hitting 6-of-12 from the line in the final four minutes, the Roadrunners held on to their lead and won the game 84-78.

“We got a resilient group of guys,” Hays said. “They find ways to win games. We’re bending, but we’re not breaking. The guys do a great job of keeping their poise.”

The Roadrunners have won 17 games in a row and will play Colorado State University at Pueblo in the semi-finals of the RMAC Shootout March 6 in Pueblo. If they win, Metro will move on to the championship match at 8 p.m. March 7 in Pueblo. Carrington said he believes it doesn’t matter who they play, the team is ready to play whichever team comes their way.

“We feel like we can take on anybody,” Carrington said. “Our one goal is to get into the national tournament, and get into the elite eight. From there, we have to beat the best anyway, so we don’t care, bring it on.”