Metro State Women's Basketball Improves to 4-0

DENVER - Metro State used its best offensive performance this season as it topped Simon Fraser (B.C.) 73-62 on Saturday afternoon at home on the second day of the Metro State Thanksgiving Classic.  The Roadrunners improved to 4-0, while SFU fell to 3-1 this season.

The loss was just the fifth in the past three seasons for the Clan, who have won the past two Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships and posted a 32-1 record in 2009-10.  SFU is in the second year of a two-year transition of becoming the first Canadian NCAA school.  Next season, Simon Fraser will compete with a full NCAA Division II schedule in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Four players scored in double figures and 11 total players appeared in the scoring column for Metro State as the Roadrunners reached a season high in scoring on Saturday.  Kristin Valencia led the way with 12 points and seven rebounds, hitting 6-of-11 from the floor.  Alyssa Benson and Brandi Valencia each scored 11 and Jasmine Cervantes added 10 points and tied teammate Candice Kohn for a team-high four assists.

For the fourth straight game, Metro State dominated the boards, holding a 45-24 advantage in rebounding.  Cassondra Bratton pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and Tawny Drexler, Kristin Valencia and Cervantes each had seven.

The Roadrunners also had a season-low 11 turnovers and shot a season-high 48.5 percent from the floor.  Defensively, Metro State matched its season-best for lowest shooting percentage allowed at 31.9 percent.  SFU did, however, hit 25-of-29 at the free throw line to stay in the game.

The Clan led 5-3 early, but a 10-0 run by Metro State put the Roadrunners in front 13-5 as five different players scored in the first six minutes of the game.  They continued to add to the lead and built a 17-point lead with under 3:30 to go in the first half and held a 40-28 lead at halftime as Brandi Valencia led the Roadrunners with nine points at the break.  Metro State shot 52.8 percent in the first half, compared to just 22.7 percent from SFU.

Metro State maintained a double digit lead the rest of the game and led by as much as 21 when Cervantes scored a layup with 6:33 left for a 67-46 lead.

The Roadrunners will open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play at New Mexico Highlands on Friday at 6 p.m.