GOLDEN, Colo. – After dominating Western Oregon, last night, the Regis University women's basketball team experienced more of a challenge in the Johnson & Wales Wildcats in the second game of the Mines Thanksgiving Classic. The Rangers closed out the final tune-up before conference play begins with a split falling to the Wildcats 59-53.

Regis opened the game scoring the first five points and continued to hold control of the lead until a Wildcat three-pointer evened the score, 10-10. RU quickly pushed the lead back to four but JWU kept fighting to remain close. After one quarter of play, the Rangers led 18-12.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the game early in the second quarter off a made three-point basket. Regis responded with a 5-0 run to regain control, 24-19. The score would tie 26-26 and the lead would swing back in favor of Johnson and Wales as RU headed into halftime down, 34-29.

Throughout the third quarter, JWU maintained the lead. Regis continually battled to cut the deficit down to one on a Caresse Williams layup at the 5:56 mark. RU never could completely overcome the hump regrouping for the final quarter of play down by two, 50-48.

The struggle to pitch a comeback carried over into the fourth quarter as the Rangers refused to go away keeping the Wildcats within striking distance. JWU was able to pull off the win holding Regis to just five fourth quarter points. Although the Rangers outscored the Wildcats in two quarters, the stat sheet read much differently than the previous night. RU struggled shooting 27.3 percent from the field and just 11.8 percent from distance.

Williams recorded her second double-double on the year leading Regis with 12 points and adding ten rebounds. Karlyn Johnson also tallied a double-double, her first this season, with a game-leading 13 boards and 11 points. Johnson and Williams combined for 13 of RU's 25 offensive boards as the Rangers dominated JWU in the rebound column 50-39 to score 18 second chance baskets.

Regis forced 22 Wildcat turnovers and recorded five blocks, the most in a game thus far. Johnson had three blocks of her own and Bay'lee Purdy chipped in with two.

RU will open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play on the road at Chadron State on Saturday, December 5 at 5:30 p.m.