PUEBLO, Colo. -- Top-ranked Metro State used a dominating first half to win 77-67 at CSU-Pueblo on Friday and set the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record for conference wins in a season at 21. The Roadrunners improved to 24-1 overall and 21-0 in the RMAC, while CSU-Pueblo dropped to 14-11 and 12-9 in the RMAC.
The Roadrunners exceeded last year's Metro State team and the 2012 Colorado Mines team's record of 20 RMAC wins.
Brandon Jefferson scored a game-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting to lead the Roadrunners, while Nicholas Kay added a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Mitch McCarron poured in 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds, adding three steals. Jamal McClerkin and Raul Delgado each had seven points.
MSU Denver put together one of its most impressive halves of the season, jumping out to a 51-31 lead at halftime after shooting 50 percent and limiting the ThunderWolves to just 33.3 percent. The Roadrunners led by as many as 26 points in the first half.
CSUP opened the second half on a 10-1 run during the first four minutes to cut its deficit to 11.
A 14-4 run by the ThunderWolves got them within five points at 64-59 with 3:52 to go, but that was as close as they would get. McCarron scored the next seven points for the Roadrunners, pushing them back to a 12-point lead by himself. He and Jefferson combiend to make four straight free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Nathan Tigner led CSU-Pueblo with 15 points and added seven assists.
