PUEBLO - Like any team, Metro State will fluctuate on offense according to the streakiness of its shooters.

But the Roadrunners proved again Sunday why defense wins championships.

Metro State did not allow a field goal in the final 3:30 of its men's basketball showdown against Adams State in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout title game Sunday, ending the upstart Grizzlies' run through the tournament with a 70-60 victory.

It was Metro State's seventh RMAC Shootout championship, and the victory brought the championship trophy back to the Auraria campus after the Roadrunners' run of six RMAC tournament titles in seven seasons ended with a loss in the final last year.

"Players win the games, and the guys did a great job of being resilient," said first-year Metro State coach Brannon Hays, who took over when Mike Dunlap took a job as an assistant coach with the Nuggets. "When things got a little rocky and a little shaky, they made that big push at the end."

Metro State (27-3) appeared ready to cruise after it put together a 20-6 second-half run that increased its lead to 56-38 with about 9 minutes remaining.

But the comfortable lead briefly took away some of Metro's edge on defense, and Adams State senior Wes Jensen took advantage.

Jensen made four three-pointers during a rally that produced a 19-6 run. Adams State (16-13) pulled within four points with 3:08 remaining. But the Roadrunners limited the Grizzlies to just two free throws the rest of the way.

Metro State sophomore forward Jesse Wagstaff was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after totaling 19 points and nine rebounds. Guard Marquise Carrington added 17 points for Metro.

"They hit some big shots, to their credit," Wagstaff said. "But then we started to pick up our defensive intensity, finish up with some rebounds and get some scores at the other end. I think we got a little bit complacent with the lead. We might have thought it was over before it was."

Metro St. 70, Adams St. 60

ADAMS STATE (16-13) - Charles 0-0 0-0 0, Jensen 4-12 4-4 16, Mortensen 3-6 4-5 10, Murrey 2-6 3-5 7, Moniak 7-10 4-6 18, Johnson 0-0 2-4 2, Anderson 1-4 0-0 3, Hull 1-8 0-0 2, Forster 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 18-46 19-26 60.

METRO STATE (27-3) - Bahl 3-6 3-4 11, Carrington 6-11 3-6 17, Burgess 1-3 1-4 3, Wagstaff 5-13 5-6 19, Coulibaly 3-4 0-0 6, Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Veikalas 4-5 1-2 10, Price 1-2 0-0 2, Ciancio 0-1 0-0 0, Bass 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 24-48 13-22 70.

Three-point goals - AS, Jensen 4, Anderson; MS, Wagstaff 4, Bahl 2, Carrington 2, Veikalas.