DENVER – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs held an 11-point halftime lead, but MSU Denver outscored the Mountain Lions 43-29 in the second half to claim the 69-66 decision tonight in the RMAC opener at the Auraria Event Center. Alex Welsh led UCCS (3-5, 0-1 RMAC) with 20 points and eight rebounds.

UCCS scored the first six points of the game and scored on its first three possessions for an 8-2 lead against MSU Denver in the first 2 minutes, 12 seconds of the game. The Mountain Lions assembled another nine-point run midway through the half, with four points from Dalton Patten, to build a 26-10 lead with 8:41 left in the period. Alex Welsh led both teams with 11 points at halftime as UCCS lead the Roadrunners 37-26.

A 12-2 run for MSU Denver in the second half turned a 55-50 Mountain Lion lead into a 62-57 Roadrunner advantage with just less than four minutes in the game. UCCS cut it down to two points twice in the final minute, and was down three points on the final possession, but the game-tying three-pointer fell short in the 69-66 loss.

The Mountain Lions will remain on the road for a Friday, Dec. 11, game at Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colo. The Mavericks (4-3, 0-1 RMAC) fell to Westminster 68-61 tonight in Salt Lake City.