DENVER, Colo. – The Black Hills State University men's basketball team (11-11, 9-7 RMAC) fell to the Roadrunners of MSU Denver (15-7, 9-7 RMAC) inside the Auraria Event Center Saturday night, 75-58, to conclude a trip to the Denver metro in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action. Caelin Hearne led the offensive attack with 19 points on the game.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Hoku Fisher (So., Wilmington, N.C.) and Hearne (Jr., Norman, Okla.) gave BH the quick 6-2 advantage Saturday night inside the Auraria Event Center. At the first media break, the Jackets held an early 10-7 lead thanks to five early points from Hearne. Out of the break, Matthew Ragsdale (Gr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) hit his first deep ball on the night with BHSU hitting three of their first four attempts from behind the arc. The Roadrunners kept trying to go down low, but the BH big men held firm and limited MSU Denver to just one shot per possession early on. The Roadrunners would hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key as they cut the lead to two at the under-12 break. MSU Denver would throw down a slam and the foul would allow them to retake the lead at 15-14, their first since it was 2-0 in the opening seconds.
 
The Roadrunners would use an 8-0 run to open a six-point advantage, 22-16. A Ragsdale jumper and forcing a turnover the following possession would spark four-straight points by Black Hills State. MSU Denver would push their lead back up to eight points before Fisher knocked down his second deep ball of the contest and that would be followed by a Ragsdale three, making it 28-26 Roadrunners with five and a half minutes left in the half. Defense turned to offense, as a steal turned into the third-straight possession with a deep ball as Fisher began to heat up giving BHSU the 29-28 lead and forcing MSU Denver to use a time out. The Roadrunners would take a 38-31 lead into the locker room at the break.
 
With his three deep balls, Fisher led the team with his nine first half points, while Ragsdale added eight and Hearne with seven. BHSU shot 6-for-13 from deep, while Fisher also dished out three assists in the first half.
 
Hearne wasted no time to start the second half, scoring on a turnaround jumper in the lane on the first possession of the half. However, it would be the Roadrunners who would open up a double-digit lead by the first media break of the second half, leading 48-37. At the under-12 time out, the Roadrunners had opened the half on a 17-7 run and lead 55-38.
 
The Roadrunners would keep the Yellow Jackets at bay into the latter part of the second half in pursuit of defending their home floor. Trailing 60-40, Hearne would be fouled on a 3-point attempt, and he hit all three free throws in an attempt to spark the BH offense. MSU Denver would be assessed a technical foul and Ragsdale would convert one of the free throws. Black Hills State would use that Hearne spark and turn it into an 10-0 run, pulling to within 10 points at 60-50 with four and a half minutes to play. John Shanklin (Sr., Bellevue, Neb.) would look to keep the momentum with the green and gold as he's awarded with an and-one, converting on the free throw. In the final two and a half minutes, MSU Denver would continue to be aggressive and convert at the foul line as they would defend the home floor with a 75-58 victory Saturday night.
 
GAME NOTES

• Caelin Hearne led the offense on the night with 19 points.
• Matthew Ragsdale adds 13 and John Shanklin with 11 points.
• Three Jackets pull down four rebounds in Hearne, Hoku Fisher, and Joel Speckman.
• Fisher paces the team with his four assists.
• MSU Denver shoots 47.3% to BH's 36.8%.
• The two teams split the regular season series, both defending their home floor.
• Black Hills State falls to 9-7 in RMAC play on the season.
• MSU Denver takes a 16-9 all-time series lead over the Jackets and snaps a three-game BH winning streak in Denver.

Up Next: Black Hills State will return to A2 Arena for the second meeting with UCCS for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off on Friday, February 16 from the Donald E. Young Center.