DENVER – Unable to recover from a slow start, the Black Hills State University men's basketball team fell 67-40 to Metropolitan State University of Denver Saturday.
 
MSU Denver (6-2, 2-0 RMAC) jumped out to a 9-0 lead before Patrick Mendes scored the first Yellow Jacket points of the game on a layup. The Roadrunners, preseason picked No. 3 in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, then stretched their lead to 12 points at 16-4 until an 8-1 run pulled the Yellow Jackets within five points.
 
All eight points were from the hands of Max Mueller beginning with a dunk and continuing with a putback and a pair of free throws sandwiched around a MSUD free throw. The 8-1 run ended with a Mueller layup with 11:06 remaining in the first half and a 17-12 score.
 
However, the Roadrunners hit the gas pedal and carried a 35-16 into the intermission.
 
The second half continued with the MSU Denver control as Black Hills State (3-5, 0-2 RMAC) couldn't cut the deficit down to more than 18 points before ending at 67-40.
 
Mueller led the Yellow Jackets with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 night while grabbing four rebounds. LD Thomas and Mendes each added nine points apiece as Jonas Anderson grabbed a team-best six rebounds.
 
For the Roadrunners, Peter Moller scored a game-high 22 points with Andre Harris tallying 16 points and Brian Howard 10 points.
 
Black Hills State closes out the pre-holiday schedule with four-straight home games beginning with preseason RMAC favorite Colorado School of Mines on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.