Metro State wins the RMAC Championship

RMAC Regular Season Standings East Division 1. Metro St. 18-1 27-4 2. Colorado Christian 11-8 21-13 3. Colorado Springs 10-9 10-18 4. Colorado Mines 9-10 14-13 5. Nebraska-Kearney 8-11 11-15 6. Chadron St. 4-15 8-19 6. Regis Univ. 4-15 7-20 West Division 1. N.Mexico Highlands 14-5 20-8 2. Fort Lewis 13-6 24-10 2. Mesa St. 13-6 16-12 4. Colorado St.-Pueblo 11-8 15-14 4. Western St. 11-8 14-14 6. W.New Mexico 6-13 10-17 7. Adams St. 1-18 4-23

Metro St. College 2008-09

Hays Wagstaff Bass Carrington Ciancio Robinson 42 Wagstaff Jesse 6'8'' (203) F 51 Bass Daniel 6'7'' (201) G/F 20 Carrington Marquise 5'11'' (180) G 33 Ciancio Guiseppe 6'2'' (188) G 1 Robinson Chris 6'5'' (196) G 24 Billings Lawrence 6'8'' (203) C 11 Thompson David 6'7'' (201) F 22 Barringer Brian 6'1'' (185) G 21 Darden Meneptha 6'9'' (206) C 44 Ekeh Nelson 6'6'' (198) F 23 Evans Reggie 6'4'' (193) G 32 Minor Brian 6'3'' (191) G 2 Nicholas Donte 6'5'' (196) G

The No. 11 Metro State men's basketball team closed the game on a 31-13 run over the final 12 minutes to defeat Fort Lewis 84-78 to win the RMAC Shootout on Saturday night in Pueblo. Metro State is now on a 19-game winning streak and will enter the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 27-3 after winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.
The Roadrunners will await the decision of the NCAA Tournament committee on Sunday evening to find out their seeding and opponent in the regional tournament. The tournament selection show will be broadcast live online at 7 p.m. at ncaa.com. Metro State will be looking for its 13th appearance in the Big Dance and 11th in the past 12 years. The Roadrunners have an all-time record of 29-10 (.744) in the NCAA Tournament, including two national championships (2000 and 2002). They have also hosted three regional tournaments as the top seed.
This is the eighth RMAC Shootout title for Metro State in school history (1999-2000-01-03-04-05-07-09), the most of any school in the conference. Former RMAC-school Fort Hays State (Kan.) is second with four titles. The Roadrunners have an all-time record of 28-5 in the tournament as well, also topping all conference opponents.
Jesse Wagstaff (6'8''-F-86) of Metropolitan State College of Denver led all scorers with 22 points, hitting 6-of-13 from the field and 9-of-12 at the line. Donte Nicholas (6'5''-G) of Metropolitan State College of Denver poured in 16 points, including 8-of-9 at the free throw line. He also led Metro State with eight rebounds. Chris Robinson (6'5''-G) added 13 points off the bench. Metro State's second-leading scorer this season Marquise Carrington (5'11''-G-87) of Metropolitan State College of Denver was held to a season-low five points.
The big story of the night for the Roadrunners was senior Daniel Bass (6'7''-G/F-87), who scored 11 points off the bench, hitting 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line. He also added seven rebounds and two steals. He was instrumental in the comeback in the second half as the Roadrunners rallied from behind by 12 points with 12 minutes remaining. Metro State outscored Fort Lewis 25-9 when Bass was in the game. Saturday night was his first game in double figures since he scored 10 on Jan. 31 against Colorado Mines.
Deandre Lansdowne (6'2''-G) led Fort Lewis with 19 points and added eight rebounds. He hit 6-of-11 from the field. Kirk Archibeque (6'9''-C-84) scored 16 points and had a game-high 12 rebounds, but fouled out with 4:13 left.
Metro State shot just 40.7 percent from the field in the game, but hit 33-of-38 (.868) at the line. The Roadrunners also forced 16 turnovers and held a 40-38 rebounding edge. Fort Lewis hit just 20-of-36 (.556) at the free throw line.
The Skyhawks got off to a good start in a physical first half, leading 18-13 with 13:25 left. But Metro State got hot for the next three minutes. Nicholas made a layup with 12:32 left, starting a 9-2 run. Trailing 20-19, Wagstaff buried a 3-pointer with 10:17 left to put the Roadrunners in front 22-20.
FLC came back to lead 37-33 with three minutes remaining. A layup by Reggie Evans (6'4''-G) and two free throws by Wagstaff tied the score at 37-37 with 2:15 left. A layup by Archibeque in the final minute put the Skyhawks ahead 41-39 at the half.
In a half that saw nine tie scores and 10 lead changes, Archibeque led all players with 13 points and seven rebounds. Nicholas and Wagstaff led Metro State with 11 each. Nicholas hit 5-of-5 at the line and had a team-high four rebounds. Second-leading scorer Carrington went scoreless, missing all six shot attempts. Fort Lewis scored 22 of its 39 points in the paint and 10 at the free throw line in 17 attempts. The Roadrunners shot just 37.5 percent from the floor and 2-of-9 from the outside in the first half, but made 13-of-15 at the line.
Fort Lewis led by four points at 57-53 with 13:01 left and caught fire, scoring the next eight points to take a 12-point lead, its biggest of the night at 65-53 with 12 minutes remaining. But Bass then got the Roadrunners going on both ends of the floor, leading a 10-0 run. Bass started the run with a 3-point play.
Following two free throws by Nelson Ekeh (6'6''-F) of Metropolitan State College of Denver, Bass hit a fade away jumper. A 3-pointer by Carrington, his first points of the game, on the next possession brought the Roadrunners to within two points at 65-63. After a steal by Bass, Metro State missed a jumper, but Ekeh forced another steal on Fort Lewis' ensuing possession and drew a foul on the offensive end. He hit 1-of-2 at the line, cutting the lead to 65-64.
Trailing 70-69 with under six minutes left, the Roadrunners scored the next nine points and never looked back. Robinson hit two free throws to put Metro State ahead 71-70. Following a layup by Wagstaff, Bass got going again. After he corralled a rebound on the defensive end, he was fouled by Archibeque, drawing the fifth personal on him and forcing Fort Lewis' leading scorer to the showers. Bass proceeded to hit two free throws. Again, he pulled down the rebound after a defensive stop and then made a layup on the other end to put the Roadrunners up 77-70 with 3:26 to play. Nicholas hit 1-of-2 to complete the scoring run.
The Skyhawks cut Metro State's lead to three at 78-75 with 59 seconds left on two free throws by Lansdowne. Brian Minor then hit two free throws for the Roadrunners on Metro State's next possession.
Lansdowne hit 1-of-2 free throws the next time down the floor after drawing a foul. The Roadrunners then threw away the inbounds pass, but Trent Bowman (6'8''-F) stepped on the sideline moments later for Fort Lewis, giving the ball back to Metro State. Carrington sank two free throws to put Metro State ahead 81-76 with 15 seconds left. Following a layup by Bowman, Wagstaff buried two free throws to seal the victory.
Jesse Wagstaff was named RMAC Shootout MVP for the second time in his career. He earned those honors in 2007 as well. Nelson Ekeh and Donte Nicholas were also named to the all-tournament team.
Courtesy of Metro State


Tournament Final: Metro State - Fort Lewis 84-78
Tournament Semifinals:
Metro State - Colorado St.-Pueblo 76-65
Fort Lewis - Colorado Christian 92-79

RMAC All-Tournament MVP: Jesse Wagstaff of Metro State

RMAC All-Tournament Team
Jesse Wagstaff of Metro State
Nelson Ekeh of Metro State
Donte Nicholas of Metro State
Kirk Archibeque of Fort Lewis
Deandre Lansdowne of Fort Lewis
Rome Smith (6'3''-G) of CSU-Pueblo

All-RMAC East Division 1st Team 2008-09

Wagstaff Beranek Carrington McLaurin Neuhaus

All-RMAC East Division 1st Team
Jesse Wagstaff of Metro State
Drake Beranek (6'4''-F) of Neb.-Kearney
Marquise Carrington of Metro State
Tim McLaurin (6'3''-G) of Chadron State
Justin Neuhaus (6'11''-F) of Colo. Christian

All-RMAC East Division 2nd Team
Kyle Pape (6'0''-G) of Colorado Mines
Matt Rosinski (6'0''-G-87) of Regis
Brendan Puckett (6'4''-G) of Colo. Christian
Jordan Long (6'1''-G) of Colo. Christian
Frank McCollum (6'2''-G) of UCCS

All-RMAC East Division 3rd Team
Dale Minschwaner (6'4''-F) of Colorado Mines
Max Froehlich (6'4''-G) of Neb.-Kearney
Donte Nicholas of Metro State
Cole Smith (6'7''-F) of UCCS
Andy Pokorny (6'2''-G-87) of Regis

All-RMAC West Division 1st Team
Roman Andrade (6'2''-G) of N.M. Highlands
Kirk Archibeque of Fort Lewis
Deandre Lansdowne of Fort Lewis
Ryan Mathews (6'1''-G) of Mesa State
Rome Smith of CSU-Pueblo

All-RMAC West Division 2nd Team
Rashad Peterson (6'2'') of N.M. Highlands
Cameron Burney (6'7''-F-87) of Western State
Devin Stewart (6'2''-G) of Western N.M.
Chris Dunn (6'8'') of N.M. Highlands
Jase Herl (6'3''-G) of Mesa State

All-RMAC West Division 3rd Team
Jake Trahern (6'9''-C) of CSU-Pueblo
D.J. Nicholas (6'5''-F) of Western N.M.
Ryan Jameson (6'0''-G) of Fort Lewis
Allen McFarland (6'4''-F-86) of Western State
Jordan Brooks (6'3''-G-86) of Fort Lewis}

RMAC East Division Player of the Year: Jesse Wagstaff of Metro State
RMAC East Division Defensive Player of the Year: Justin Neuhaus of Colorado Christian
RMAC East Division Freshman of the Year: Dale Minschwaner of Colorado Mines
RMAC East Division Coach of the Year: Brannon Hays of Metro State
RMAC West Division Player of the Year: Roman Andrade of N.M. Highlands
RMAC West Division Defensive Player of the Year: Deandre Lansdowne of Fort Lewis
RMAC West Division Freshman of the Year: Mindaugas Markevicius (6'4''-G-90) of N.M. Highlands
RMAC West Division Coach of the Year: Joe Harge of N.M. Highlands