Box Score Pueblo, Colo.: The Regis University Ranger women's basketball team was unable to bounce back from their first conference loss last weekend falling to the Colorado State-Pueblo ThunderWolves (5-2, 3-0 RMAC) in a close Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup this Friday evening. The ThunderWolves were able to seal the 60-56 victory over the Rangers who move to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC.
Much of this game was a back-and-forth battle with both teams exchanging control of the lead; the score tied 11 times with 14 lead changes. The first half proved to be a defensive fight with the score being just 25-25 at the break due to a jumper by junior guard Bay'lee Purdy (Agate, Colorado).
The second half picked up right where the first left off. Teams would continue to trade the lead until the ThunderWolves went on a 7-2 run pushing it to five but a Purdy three-pointer followed by a Ranger steal and a layup by sophomore forward Karlyn Johnson (Littleton, Colorado) would quickly tie the score, 40-40.
An 11-0 Regis run shifted the lead once again, 47-41, with just under nine minutes remaining. The Rangers held control until the 3:08 mark when a CSU-Pueblo free throw tied the score, 54-54. This would be the last time the score would tie and the ThunderWolves secured the win only allowing Regis to score one more time.
Junior guard Caresse Williams (Citrus Heights, California) led all scorers with 14 points. Johnson was the only other Ranger to reach double-digits adding 11 points and pulling down a team-high of seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Kaycee Hert (Spokane, Washington) dished out three assists.
With almost identical shooting percentages, both teams struggled from distance finishing the night on just 18% from the arc and Regis slightly edging out the ThunderWolves 35.9% to 35.5% from the field. The Rangers forced 13 turnovers while allowing just six of their own but were largely outrebounded 50-34.
Regis travels to UC-Colorado Springs (8-1, 3-0 RMAC) Saturday, December 13 for a 5:30 p.m. tip.
