Metro topped by Lopers
'Runners shock Hays, fall short to Kearney in conference final
By Matt Gunn
gunnma@mscd.edu

The Roadrunner men's basketball team reached the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout Championship for the fourth straight season, but fell 71-68 to the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the final.

On their way to the final, the 'Runners beat Mesa State College 68-58 in the opening round, then upset No. 1 seed Fort Hays State University 76-68 in the semifinal.

Metro finished second in the RMAC and moved up to the No. 6 seed in the upcoming NCAA North Central Regional Tournament.

"We've exceeded our expectations," head coach Mike Dunlap said. "For people to be talking about us in the NCAA (tournament) when we're retooling our team, it's a tribute to our leadership group and it's a tribute to our kids evolving."

The 'Runners opened the RMAC postseason with a home rematch of last year's Shootout final against the Mavericks.

The only lead changes in the game came in the first five minutes of the opening half.

"It's a one-game season now, and this is what it's all about," Junior Michael Bahl said. "I thought we stayed composed, and when we needed to make some plays, we did."

The Roadrunners continued to make smart plays in their semifinal matchup against Fort Hays. The Tigers, who swept regular season games against the 'Runners, earned a No. 5 national ranking and were the top seed in the RMAC Shootout, but Metro was better prepared for round three.

Fort Hays jumped out to an early lead and was up 14-7 with 12:14 to play in the first half. The Roadrunners countered with freshman Marquise Carrington, who hit three straight three-pointers and led Metro on a 16-4 run that spanned the next four minutes.

"We like to think of me as an X-factor because nobody really thinks of me," Carrington said. "I like to just try to add a spark wherever, whether it's offense or defense."

The rest of the Roadrunners rallied through the final minutes to take a 35-28 lead at the half.

The Tigers opened the second half with a 13-5 run to regain the lead at 11:02. Junior Moussa Coulibali scored a field goal to give Metro a 47-45 lead with 8:15 on the clock.

The 'Runners pushed the lead through the remaining minutes, forcing Fort Hays to make mistakes. The Tigers committed 19 fouls in the second half, giving numerous free throws to Metro.

"One of our strengths is we're the leading free throw percentage team in the league," Dunlap said.

Metro scored 25 points from the charity stripe, and made 48 percent of its field goals.

Senior Drew Williamson led the 'Runners' attack with 21 points and eight rebounds. Carrington and senior Greg Muth each added 13 points.

Tigers forward Jeremy Atwater, who had 25 points and 22 rebounds against Metro Feb. 18, was limited to 10 points and 13 rebounds in the Shootout.

The Roadrunners defended their RMAC Title against the Lopers the following day.

Metro struggled to make shots in the opening minutes, and allowed Nebraska-Kearney to take a 10-0 lead in the first five minutes of play.

Again, the Roadrunners were forced to make up ground on their opponent. Metro went on a 22-12 run following the early scoring lapse and tied the game with a reverse dunk from senior Dorian Smith with 1:36 left in the half.

"Dorian Smith stepped up huge today, he was a key factor for us," Williamson said after the game.

Even though Metro only shot 30 percent in the first half, the teams went into halftime tied at 24.

The 'Runners and Lopers fought through eight ties and 11 lead changes down the stretch in the second half.

Williamson suffered an injury five minutes into the second, and the 'Runners were forced to play without him for parts of the half. Despite his injury, Metro's offense picked up its biggest lead of the game, 46-41, at 11:10.

The persistent Lopers followed with a 14-6 run capped by a three-pointer from guard Nick Morrell to take the lead for good with 5:19 remaining.

Metro stuck with Nebraska-Kearney through the end, but the Lopers' defense prevented a Muth desperation three-pointer as time expired.

Nebraska-Kearney earned its first RMAC Shootout title since 1998.

"There isn't anybody in our league I have more respect for than Kearney," Dunlap said.

The 'Runners offense was led by 19 points from Bahl. Muth scored 11, and Smith earned 13. Freshman Jesse Wagstaff went five-for-seven and added 14 points.

Wagstaff and Williamson were named to the all-tournament team.

Metro earned its ninth consecutive NCAA Regional bid, which begins at 11 a.m. (MST) on March 11 in Winona, Minn.

"We're anxious for the NCAA bid," Dunlap said. "For us to be able to lock and load, and do what we do, it's easy because we're excited for the opportunity."

All Metro games in the NCAA Tournament will be broadcast on http://metradio.mscd.edu.