DENVER, Colo. – No. 21 University of Colorado Colorado Springs opened the second half with a seven-point run and led by at least two possessions for the remainder of the game to advance to the RMAC Shootout Championship game in a 94-86 victory aginst Adams State University. The Mountain Lions (25-5) will face MSU Denver on Saturday at 8 p.m., in the Auraria Event Center.

Derrick White broke the UCCS program record with seven blocked shots and added 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Alex Welsh scored 21 points to move into a tie for second in UCCS career scoring records with 1,222 points. Darius Pardner added 18 points, helped by an eight-of-eight performance at the free throw line.

The teams exchanged the lead nine times through the first eight minutes of the game and Adams State led 21-19 with 7:58 left in the first half. A 9-0 run put the Mountain Lions up 28-21 with 2:49 to play in the half before the Grizzlies brought it back to a one possession game at the first half buzzer to cut the Mountain Lion lead to 34-31.

The seven-point run at the start of the second half put UCCS up by double-digits for the first time in the game, and Adams State got as close as five points with three minutes to play and again with 101 to play. The Mountain Lions made five of their final six free throws in the last minute to claim the win and advance to the championship game for the second straight season.

UCCS finished with 53 percent from the three-point line and 54 percent from the field, while holding Adams State to its lowest shooting percentage of the season at 38 percent. The 60 points scored by the Mountain Lions in the second half was the second-most in a single half this season (62 in second half vs. Johnson & Wales) and tied for fifth in all-time program records.

White surpassed 1,800 career points tonight with his eighth 30-point game of the season. He earned his seventh double-double of the season. Welsh went four-of-five from the three-point line and added three assists and six rebounds. TreShawn Wilford came within a point and two rebounds of his first double-double of the season.