Denver, Colo.: (By Dylan Docker) The Regis men erased an early deficit to give the home crowd an exciting finish Friday night at the Regis Fieldhouse. The Rangers (5-17, 2-16 RMAC) battled back to tie the score after trailing by 15 at one point, but the Lopers (13-8, 11-7 RMAC) eventually picked up the 75-71 win.

Nebraska-Kearney caused some early damage in the first half, scoring the first six points and posting a 20-5 run in the opening minutes of play. The Lopers led by a double-digit margin for much of the half, but the Regis offense kept the game in reach. A slam dunk from freshman guard Dylan King capped off an offensive run that trimmed the Loper lead to seven points.

Senior guard Lance Korell came off the bench and put on a shooting clinic, going 4-4 from the field with three three-pointers for 11 points in the first half.

Despite Korell's efforts, the efficiency and speed of the visitors resulted in a 41-33 deficit for the Rangers at halftime.

The Rangers entered the second half with some momentum. Another three-pointer from Korell cut the Nebraska-Kearney advantage to four with 17:49 to play. The Lopers eventually re-built a double-digit lead, but the Rangers again refused to give in.

A 9-0 run featuring five more points from Korell put Regis on top for the first time in the game. With a 69-68 lead and 1:26 on the clock; the Rangers fought hard to keep the Lopers from stealing one on the road.

However, Nebraska-Kearney shooters connected on four late free throws, preventing the home team from completing the comeback. The Lopers went on to claim the 75-71 victory.

With 27 points in the game, Korell was a major factor Friday night for Regis. In 30 minutes of play he went 7-9 (77.8%) from three-point range and 9-12 (75.0%) from the field overall.  The 27 points are a career-high and the seven three pointers are sixth most in one game in Regis history.

Demitrius Owens once again kept his opponents busy. Owens led the Rangers with nine total rebounds and scored 14 points in yet another solid performance from the junior forward.  

Junior guard Dionte Goodlett went 6-6 at the free throw line and scored 15 points for the Rangers. He also picked up five total rebounds and a pair of steals in his 38 minutes.

The Regis men will take on Chadron State at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow in their final home game of the 2011-2012 season. Seniors Lance Korell, Chris Johansen, and Myron Sanders will be honored at the Regis Fieldhouse prior to tip-off.