Denver, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team extends their winning streak to four games, defeating the Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners 72-68 in Denver.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
- Final Score: UCCS 72, MSUD 78
- Records: UCCS (9-8, 5-6 RMAC) | MSUD 10-5 (4-5 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Auraria Event Center| Denver, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Roadrunners and Mountain Lions met for the 64th time this evening, with the Roadrunners holding 51-13 record over UCCS. Head Coach Jeff Culver owns a 13-12 record vs MSUD as UCCS' skipper.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Roadrunners and Mountain Lions traded leads in the opening minutes of the game, having four lead changes in the first ten minutes of action. MSU Denver would hold the lead at 17-15 as play entered the last ten minutes of the first frame, lead by freshman Marzouq Ibn Abdur-Razaaq who had seven points through that stretch.
- As the rest of the first half played out, MSU Denver continued to control play, out scoring UCCS 22-14 in the final 10:47 of the opening half. After the strong start, the Roadrunners took the 38-29 lead into the break.
- As play resumed for the second half, again it was MSU Denver who got the scoring started with a layup from Mario Lacy Jr. but UCCS would go to work, and chip away at the then 11-point lead. The Mountain Lions embarked on a 15-10 run, with Hannes Saar leading the way with 11 points on his own, highlighted by a triple with 14:46 to go.
- Offense was not hard to find form either team down the stretch, with UCCS outscoring the hosts 28-22 in the final ten minutes. This time it was freshman point guard Xavier Martinez, who flushed nine points for UCCS, leading the charge. Clutch free throws from Martinez, and a layup from Jayden Washington to seal it, UCCS clawed back to earn the 72-68 win to begin the road trip.
GAME STATISTICS
- Hannes Saar lead all scorers with 22 points, MSU Denver's Caleb McGill paced the home team with 16.
- MSU Denver shot a game best, 42.6% from the field with UCCS shooting 42%. Both teams hit 6-19 from three point land, for a 31.6% clip.
- MSUD dominated the defensive glass, grabbing 28 rebounds off the defensive board, with UCCS having 27 total in the game.
- Free throws were a big factor for UCCS' success, hitting 24-36 from the line.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With his four assists this evening, Xavier Martinez sets a new best for assists by a freshman with 78, passing Elijah Ross' 75 in 2016. Martinez did it two games faster than Ross, getting it done in 16 games played.
- UCCS has won six straight meetings vs Metropolitan State University of Denver, dating back to 2/7/2020.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will play tomorrow evening in Golden, Colo. meeting #16 ranked Colorado School of Mines at 7 p.m.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics
