Monday, March 24, 2014

GAME NOTES: Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners awaits Tuskegee University Tigers at Elite Eight


#1 Metro State Roadrunners, 31-1 Overall

DENVER, Colorado  -- No. 1 Metropolitan State University of Denver ("Metro State") will face Tuskegee University Tigers (Ala.) in the Elite Eight at the NCAA Division II tournament on Wednesday in Evansville, Indiana at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Tuskegee Website: GoldenTigerSports.com 
Metro State Website: GoMetroState.com
 

Complete Notes (PDF) (print version)
Compelte Notes (PDF) (web version)

Notes:
• Metro State won a national championship the last time it played in Evansville, Ind. (2002).
• Metro State has earned the No. 1 seed in a regional tournament five times and has won the region all five times and has a 20-3 (.870) record at the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed, while winning a national championship in 2000.
• Metro State has made more NCAA tournament appearances over the past 17 years than any other Division II school (16).
• Metro State's eight Elite Eight appearances since 1998 aremore than any other school (Kentucky Wesleyan is second with five).
• Metro State's .732 winning percentage in the NCAA tournament is the second-best in Division II history.
• Metro State is 14-0 all-time in NCAA tournament games on its home floor.
• Metro State finished last season as the national runner-up;the last time the Roadrunners finished second (1999), they won the national championship the following season (2000).
• If Metro State was to win the rest of its games this season and win a national championship, it would require a 31-game winning streak, breaking the current school record of 30.
• Metro State earned an automatic bid by winning the RMAC Shootout, its 11th RMAC tournament title and second in a row (Fort Hays State has second-most with four).
• Metro State has won 28 straight games (longest active streak in Division II).
• Entering the regional championship that Metro State won by 22 points, Metro State has won its previous seven games by
10 points or less with an average margin of victory of +6.1 points.
Brandon Jefferson (Flower Mound, Texas/Lewisville H.S.) was named RMAC player of the year,
becoming the second consecutive Roadrunner to earn the award (Jonathan Morse (Boulder, Colo./Fairview H.S.) in 2013) and he is the first player in school history to be named region player of the year.
• Jefferson is the sixth Roadrunner to be named RMAC player of the year.
• Jefferson broke Metro State's single-season scoring record on March 16 against Colorado Mines, passing Gene Edwards' previous record of 666 points in 1989-90.
• Jefferson has scored over 30 points in each of the past two games, becoming the first Roadrunner to do so since Edwards in 1990.
• Jefferson was named RMAC male athlete of the month for January.
• Jefferson set the school record for consecutive free throws with 34 in a row from Jan. 11 to Jan. 24, and also made 24 straight Jan. 25 to Feb. 15, and 23 consecutive free throws from Dec. 7 to Dec. 21.
• Jefferson missed consecutive free throws for the first time all season on March 7 vs. Fort Lewis, but then made 28 in a row and has made 31-of-32 free throws in the NCAA tournament.
• Jefferson had 32 points and broke the school record for free throws made in a game (19) on Jan. 11 vs. No. 11 Colorado Mines.
• Jefferson earned RMAC defensive player of the week on Dec. 9 after tying a career high with six steals at Regis.
• Jefferson is averaging 23.7 points and shooting 43.5 percent on 3-point field goals over the past 10 games.
Mitch McCarron (Brisbane, Australia/Genesis Christian College) scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting in a win over Western State on Jan. 25.
• He was named RMAC defensive player of the week on Nov. 18 and Feb. 3 after having five steals on Jan. 31 vs. Chadron State and two steals on Feb. 1 vs. Black Hills State.
• McCarron is averaging 18.0 points and shooting 53.8 percent from the floor over the past 11 games.
Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) was named RMAC defensive player of the
week on Dec. 23 after seven steals and two blocks at BHSU and CSC.
• Kay also won the award on Dec. 2.
• Kay scored a season-low three points on March 15 in the first round of the NCAA tournament after averaging 21.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor over the previous six games.
• Kay was named RMAC Shootout most valuable player.
Jamal McClerkin (Van Nuys, Calif./Chaminade College Prep) scored a career-high 15 points and hit a career-high three 3-pointers at Fort Lewis on Jan. 18.
• McClerkin matched his career high with 15 again on Jan. 24 against Colorado Mesa.
• Metro State suffered its first regular-season, non-conference loss since 2010 (Central Washington), 72-69 at No. 7 Western Washington on Nov. 30.
• The game at Western Washington was Metro State's fourth game in six days and eighth in 16 days (including exhibitions).
 
By Andy Schlichting, Sports Information Director
COURTESY METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER ATHLETICS

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