GOLDEN, Colo. – Down an All-Conference post player, the St. Cloud State University men’s basketball battled for 40 minutes, but could not keep up with the No. 13-ranked and No. 2-seeded Metro State College in a 76-64 loss in the second round of the NCAA Central Region tournament Sunday at Lockridge Arena.
“I thought it was a very well played game on our side,” said head coach Kevin Schlagel. “In the second half, it got away from us. They did a good job adjusting on the run. But I am really proud what we did tonight.”
St. Cloud State Press Conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvzk30uvkIk
The Huskies (20-9) came out on fire and led by as many as 12 points in the first half, but down a man in the middle in sophomore Tim Bergstraser (St. Cloud), the Roadrunners (24-6) kept the pressure on all night on the glass and got to the charity stripe to outscore the Huskies 47-30 in the second half and avenge a NCAA Central Region loss to the Huskies in 2010.
Metro State got to the line 33 times (25-33), including 25 times in the second half and out rebounded the Huskies 39-23 in the game, while St. Cloud made 6 of 11 shots from the charity stripe.
The Huskies shot 46 percent from the field (25-55), while making 8 of 20 shots from the three point line.
The Roadrunners countered with a 23-for-49 shooting game (47%) from the field and a 5-for-12 night from the three point line.
Metro State had four players score in double figures, as Demetrius Miller scored a game-high 24 points on a 7-for-11 night from the field. He made three out of five shots from the three point line.
Junior Theo Rothstein (St. Michael) led the Huskies with 15 points, while seven other players posted points for St. Cloud.
Senior captain Brett Putz (Forest City, Iowa) set a new school record with his 124th game played in Sunday, passing Taylor Witt (2007-11) who played in 123 games as a Husky.
Putz finished the night with nine points after making three three-pointers.
He ends his career in second place on the all-time SCSU three point field goal list with 245 made three pointers and fell just five short from tying the all-time record set by David Dreas who made 250 from 2004-08.
“He is a rock solid young man,” said Schlagel. “He’s as classy as you will find. He had a great career and we will certainly miss him.”
The Huskies are now 4-2 all-time against Metro State including splitting the last two NCAA Central Region games after SCSU beat the Roadrunners 82-77 in Mankato in 2010.
Metro State will now play the winner of Minnesota State University, Moorhead and No. 1 ranked Colorado School of Mines.