PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - Dec. 8, 2012) - Saturday night, CSU-Pueblo was entertaining ideas of making history, knocking off the third-ranked team in the nation in Metro State and claiming their first win over the Roadrunners since 1998.
But Metro State made sure early and often that it would remain just that - ideas.
Despite the ThunderWolves' best efforts, Metro State showed why it's so highly regarded, scoring in bunches as they claimed an 88-68 win over the Pack.
CSU-Pueblo hung with the Roadrunners early on, but Metro State used its athleticism to go on multiple back-breaking runs.
After going down 16-4 after a 12-0 Metro run, CSU-Pueblo would cut the lead to 22-18, relying on the hot hand of Ryan Arel (Sr., Shawnee, Kan.), who was draining threes left and right.
But Metro responded, as good teams do, with a 19-2 run and was suddenly up 41-20 before the Pack could even exhale, en route to a 49-26 halftime lead. All told, Metro State gathered 18 points off turnovers in the first half while the Pack couldn't get a single bucket off turnovers, explaining much of the difference in the game.
But despite that, it didn't keep the ThunderWolves from battling their hearts out in the second half, outplaying the Roadrunners for most of the half - but just not enough to make up a 23-point disadvantage.
Arden Dennis (Sr., Denver, Colo.) re-entered the game in the second half after being benched for foul trouble early on, and his presence helped to spark the Pack. All 11 of his points came in the second half, including five of the Pack's first seven points of the half, as the ThunderWolves played the margin all the way down to 11 midway through the half.
However, Metro State would use an 11-2 run to lengthen its lead back to 20 and seal the game.
Arel was the Pack's top scorer, netting 20 points, setting a career high, adding four three-pointers to the cause.
CSU-Pueblo will now try to get back on track next weekend on a trip to New Mexico, when it takes on Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands.
