Feb. 28, 2007

Box Score

DENVER, COLO. - Jesse Wagstaff exploded for a career-high 32 points and also had nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals to lead No. 5-ranked Metro State to an 81-68 victory over Colorado Christian in the opening round of the RMAC Tournament, Wednesday evening at the Auraria Events Center.

The Roadrunners seemed to have a comfortable 57-43 advantage with 9:05 to play but the Cougars scored 11 consecutive points to pull to within three, 57-54, with 6:14 to go. That's when Wagstaff took over, scoring 16 points in the final 6:01 of the game. He had 24 second-half points in all on his way to a career night.

"It felt good out there," said Wagstaff. "When you have players like Michael Bahl and Marquise Carrington they attract a lot of attention and I was able to get wide open shots."

Metro State was outrebounded, 36-33, as the Cougars racked up 18 offensive boards and 26 second-chance points. However, Metro State shot 60.9 percent in the second half (14-for-23) from the floor. Both teams shot poorly from the charity stripe as Colorado Christian was just 13-for-23 and Metro State was only 19-for-29. The Roadrunners took care of the basketball, turning the ball over just eight times.

"They were getting too many offensive rebounds," said Wagstaff. "We needed to get some defensive stops. We were okay on the offensive end but we needed to get some more stops and finish their possessions."

Michael Bahl scored 11 points for Metro State, while Carrington and Terrell Burgess each had five assists. Brian Stamer had another double-double with 25 points and 18 rebounds for Colorado Christian.

It was Metro State's 27th straight win over Colorado Christian dating back to 1995-96. The Roadrunners also cap a perfect season at home, posting a 17-0 record in the Auraria Events Center this season.

Metro State jumped out to a 22-11 lead but the Cougars answered with a 12-5 run to pull to within four, 27-23, with less than three minutes remaining in the first half. The Roadrunners settled for a nine-point halftime lead. Metro State had 10 offensive rebounds in the first period and scored 15 points off nine Cougar turnovers.

With the win, Metro State improves to 25-3 overall, while Colorado Christian finishes its season at 13-15 overall. The Roadrunners face No. 4-seed Fort Lewis in the RMAC Tournament semifinals, March 3.