Hot second-half start seals win for Metro over ThunderWolves

By Anthony Sandstrom

Hot second-half start seals win for Metro over ThunderWolves

PUEBLO, Colo. - It isn't often that one five minute snippet in the middle of a basketball game end up being the different between a win or a loss, but Metro State's stellar beginning to the second half allowed a close game to become a bit of a runaway as the ThunderWolves fell 61-51 to the Roadrunners Saturday night.

Leading the ThunderWolves 28-27 at halftime, the Roadrunners came out with an intense full-court press that absolutely paralyzed the Pack's offense, forcing five turnovers and four missed shots in the half's first five minutes, while Metro State went on a 12-2 run that gave them a 41-29 lead.

From there, RMAC preseason defensive player of the year, Ashley Mickens, took the Roadrunners on her back. The senior guard was absolutely unstoppable, scoring 23 points and taking down 14 boards, including a spectacular seven offensive rebounds, as the ThunderWolves never got any closer than five.

Much of the margin was due to a poor shooting night for the Pack, hitting just 30 percent of their field goal attempts, the team's lowest output since a .250 night on Nov. 24, 2006 in a 62-56 overtime win over Midwestern State.

The lone ThunderWolf to show consistency shooting the ball was Jonnie Draper, who went 6-for-12 and scored 19 points, a career high. Forward Lindsay Black, despite only scoring nine, registered six blocks, tying her career high, which is also a school record.

Those items, though, were not much solace for ThunderWolves coach, Kip Drown.

"It's hard to take anything positive from a game like this," Drown said. "They dominated us those first few minutes of the second half, and Mickens kicked our tails, and those aren't positive things."

The loss drops the Pack to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in RMAC play. The ThunderWolves will be on the tail end of a grueling schedule, playing their third and fourth games in six days when they travel to the University of Nebraska-Omaha Tournament Monday and Tuesday to take on UN-Omaha and Newman.