DENVER – Trailing No. 1 Metro State by 16 points with nine minutes to go, the No. 13 Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team rallied to cut the deficit down to three points in the waning seconds, but could not get a shot to fall in suffering an 86-82 season-ending defeat on Sunday evening at the Auraria Event Center in Denver.
The loss officially closes the season for Mines (25-5), who posted the second-highest win total in a single season in program history, tying the 2010-11 NCAA Tournament team (25-6). No. 1 Metro State (30-1) advances to face No. 23 Midwestern State (24-7) in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Tuesday at the Auraria Event Center.
Trailing 18 points (73-55) with 7:02 remaining in the second half, the squad mounted a 27-to-12 run that left the deficit at just three points with 11 seconds remaining, capped off by a 3-pointer by Brett Green that brought the score to 85-82.
Stellar defense by Green on the Roadrunners' ensuing possession resulted in a turnover, giving the Orediggers back possession with eight seconds remaining.
Metro State forced a turnover on the next play, and Mines was forced to foul, sending Sam Porter to the line. He made the second of two attempts to push the cushion to four points and Mines was unable to score on two possessions before the final whistle, giving Metro State the 86-82 victory.
Senior Brett Green led the team with 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting, including a 3-of-6 mark from the perimeter. He spearheaded Mines' comeback in the second half with 14 points after the break, including 3-of-6 shooting from the perimeter and a 5-of-9 mark from the floor. He added five assists and a pair of steals in a team-high 39 minutes on the floor.
Classmate Luke Meisch added nine of his 14 points in the second half to go with five rebounds and two assists. Trevor Wages finished with 11 points and eight rebounds while adding an assist, a block and a steal.
Brian Muller finished with 12 points and three rebounds on a 5-of-11 shooting mark and junior Trevor Ritchie closed out five players in double figures with 11 points, two assists and a board while finishing 7-of-7 from the foul line.
Caleb Waitsman, Gokul Natesan and Will Carr chipped in combined 18 points off the bench as well.
Mines was limited to 37.9 percent shooting overall and 33.3 percent from the perimeter during the first stanza. The two squads combined for just five turnovers in a clean first half.
Metro State used 53.6 percent shooting, including 54.5 percent from the perimeter, in the first half to go up by as much as 18 points following a 16-to-5 run through the midway point of the half before heading into halftime up 46-33.
Sunday's loss served as the final collegiate contests for seniors Green, Meisch Wages, Carr and Clay Boatwright. The squad posted a 94-27 overall record over the past four seasons, with Green posting a 96-27 overall record in his four active seasons (2009-12, 2013-14) making him the leader in wins by an individual player in program history. Then 94-27 record over four seasons sets a program record for team wins in a four-year span.
Wages ends his career as one of three members of the program's 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound club and also as tops on the program's career and single-season blocks lists.
Green ends his career as one of 16 members of Mines' 1,500-point club and as the second-leading free throw shooter in program history with a mark of 85.60 percent (434-of-507). Meisch, a 1,000-point scorer, ends his Silver & Blue career with a career mark of 85.64 (370-of-432) percent at the foul line for the all-time career record.
