RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Regis University women's basketball team closed out the first of two weekends on the road with a 62-59 win at the South Dakota School of Mines Lady Hardrockers. Although the Rangers held control of the lead throughout much of the game, the Lady Hardrockers consistently hung around until making a play for the lead late in the game but the Rangers were able to hold them off.

A slower start for Regis gave the lead to South Dakota Mines (6-7, 3-6 RMAC) early on but Karlyn Johnson swung it back in favor of RU 14-13 to close out the first quarter. The Lady Hardrockers went scoreless from the two-minute mark in the first until the eight-minute mark in the second. Caresse Williams opened the second quarter up scoring the Rangers first five points, 19-13.

Back-to-back three's by Majestie Robinson and Williams gave RU their largest lead of the game, 27-15, with just under five minutes to play. South Dakota Mines kicked it up a notch getting themselves back to a single-digit deficit in the minutes before halftime as Regis controlled a 31-27 at the break.

The trend of RU attempting to push the lead and the Lady Hardrockers responding to keep it close continued throughout the third quarter. Things began to get interesting at the start of the fourth.

With 4:30 left in the game, South Dakota Mines was finally able to overcome Regis and even the score 54-54 and take a short 55-54 lead engaging in a back-and-forth battle for lead control for the remainder of the game. The lead would proceed to change four times as the last minutes of play came down to free throws.

Williams drove to the right and finished a lay-up with 40 seconds remaining to give the Rangers a 60-59 lead. An RU foul bailed out the Lady Hardrockers sending them to the line for two but both were missed and Johnson secured the rebound. Jessica Ramos was fouled with 12 seconds left but missed both. An offensive tip from the initial miss of the second free throw ended up in the hands of Ramos as she passed it off to the leagues best free throw shooter, Bay'lee Purdy. 

Now with eight seconds left and a chance to make it a three-point game, Purdy stepped to the line and did just that knocking down both. Time would expire and RU would sneak away with the win to split on the weekend.

Owning the offensive glass yet again, Regis outrebounded the Lady Hardrockers 36-32 and converted 17 points off 14 offensive boards. Johnson and Kaylie Rader pulled down nine rebounds a piece with the two combining for eight offensive. Johnson and Rader were also the leaders in points tonight scoring 14 each. Williams added 13 points of her own with two assists and one steal.

The difference maker tonight was the Rangers ability to hit shots from distance going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc to the hosts 5-of-19.

Regis will return home for a week of practice before jumping back on the road next weekend to Western New Mexico (6-7, 4-4 RMAC) on Friday, January 15 and New Mexico Highlands (2-11, 0-8 RMAC) on Saturday, January 16.