CHADRON, Neb. -- Both Chadron State College basketball teams will open the 2024 portion of their schedules on Saturday by playing the Metro State Roadrunners in Denver.  The women's game is due to tip off at 1 p.m. with the men's game to follow.
             
Both women's teams have found wins tough to come by so far while both men's teams have  records.
             
The Chadron State women are 3-7 overall with wins over Nebraska teams College of St. Mary and York, plus with a victory over Western Colorado in RMAC action.  The Metro State women are 2-8 and 1-4. They have edged Seattle Pacific 64-62 and conference rival Westminster 52-47.
             
While the Lady Roadrunners have lost to perennial powers Colorado Mesa 63-43 and Black Hills State 58-38, they were barely nipped by South Dakota Mines 63-62 and Colorado Mines 65-64 in their final December games.
             
Metro's leading scorer so far is sophomore guard Mikyiah Espinosa at 11.3 points a game. Sophomore forward Brianna Sealy is close behind at 9.9 and leads the rebounders with a 7.2 average.
             
The Chadron State women defeated Metro 77-70 at home on New Year's Eve last year when Shay Powers scored 26 points for the Eagles and Espinosa tallied 24 for the Runners. A month and a half later in Denver, Metro won 64-53 when Kendra Parra, who is no longer on the Metro roster, rang up 24 points.
             
Powers again led CSC, but this time with only 11.
             
After knocking off the York Panthers on Saturday, Dec. 30 by a 92-56 margin, the Chadron State men have won five game in a row and are 8-4 overall and 5-1 in the RMAC. Their conference loss was to New Mexico Highlands 75-61 on Dec. 2, the last time the Eagles were the visitors.
             
The Metro men are 8-3. All three losses have been to RMAC members, albeit some of the perennial powers.  Colorado Mesa won 85-82 in Denver before Black Hills State toppled the Roadrunners 75-56 in Spearfish and Colorado Mines won 78-67 on its home court in Golden.
             
Metro's conference wins have come over Westminster 85-54 in Denver and 95-87 versus South Dakota Mines in Rapid City.'
             
Brayden Maldonado, a 6-0 sophomore, is leading the Roadrunners in scoring at 19.2 points a game, followed by 6-8 Caleb McGill at 15.5. Both are from the Denver area and each has scored 27 points for season-highs. 
             
Another 6-8 starter, Mario Lacy, is averaging 10.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.
             
A year ago, the Eagles nipped the Roadrunners 67-64 in Chadron and also won 86-76 in Denver, despite McGill's 24 points.  He's one of just two players from last year who are on this year's Metro roster.
             
The Chadron State teams will play again at home on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12 and 13 against Mesa and Westminster.  Both double-headers will tip off at 5:30.