RELATED: Head coach Pryor Orser and Metro State head coach Derrick Clark mic'd up CBS 4 Denver.
GOLDEN – Visiting and top-ranked Metro State captured 21 points off 18 turnovers and used a 21-of-25 effort at the line to turn back the upset-minded and 11th-ranked Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team by a 57-54 final on Friday evening in front of a raucous crowd at Lockridge Arena.
Mines (17-3, 13-3 RMAC) out-shot and out-rebounded the Roadrunners (19-1, 16-0 RMAC) and made two more perimeter shots on the same number of attempts, but 10 extra turnovers, including one on the final and possible game-tying possession, left Mines with its second loss to Metro State this season.
Senior Luke Meisch led Mines with 12 points and eight rebounds after finishing 3-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from the perimeter and 4-of-4 from the foul line.
Junior Brian Muller added 11 points and four rebounds on 3-of-6 shooting, including a 2-of-2 mark from 3-point range. He also finished 3-for-3 from the line after entering the weekend ranked 19th nationally with an 88.8 percent average.
Senior Trevor Wages closed out three players in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds on a 4-of-5 shooting effort. He finished 2-for-2 from the line and logged 26 minutes of action before fouling out in the second half.
Junior Trevor Ritchie added five points and a team-high five assists as well, while freshman Gokul Natesan added eight points, three rebounds and three assists before fouling out late in the second half.
Nick Kay led Metro State with 20 points and Preseason RMAC Player of the Year Brandon Jefferson added 13.
Mines used a 6-of-11 effort from the perimeter and limited the Roadrunners to 30.8 percent (8-of-26) shooting from the floor in staking a 29-26 halftime lead.
The Orediggers opened the second stanza on a 9-2 run through the first five-plus minutes to go up 38-28. Metro State erased the deficit over the next eight minutes before tying up the score at 40-40 with 6:52 to go in regulation.
After MSU held a small lead, the score was once again tied up at 49-49 with 2:10 to go on a Meisch free throw. The Wichita, Kan., product would grab a rebound and make two more free throws on the ensuing pair of possessions to give the home squad a 52-49 lead with 1:51 to play.
Jamal McClerkin made a pair of free throws which cut Mines' lead to 52-51 before Jefferson hit a 3-point bucket from the right wing with 35 seconds remaining to give MSU a 54-52 lead.
The two teams traded possessions before a Jourdon Hunter free throw gave MSU a 55-52 advantage with 17 seconds to play. Ritchie made a layup on the next possession to leave Mines down one, 54-55, and forced to foul.
Hunter made both free throws to push the lead back out to three with seven seconds remaining. The Orediggers would not be able to get a shot off in falling 57-54 to drop to 9-2 at home on the year.
Comcast Entertainment Television (Xfinity Cable, 105) will be re-airing the game with on-air talent Brian Roth and Irv Brown on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. (MST) and on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. (MST).
Mines will close out the weekend on Saturday with a 7 p.m. matchup against Regis at Lockridge Arena in Golden. Mines will be unveiling the name for the Student Section at Lockridge Arena during the game.
