Box Score LUBBOCK, Tex. – In the second game in as many days for the Regis University men's basketball team (2-0), the team clashed with the St. Mary's University Rattlers (0-2). Regis won the game 84-80 improving to 2-0 on the season, their best start to a season since 2009-10.  
 
The Rangers got off to a good start in this game picking up contributions from many different players, but it was senior Noah King who made the biggest impact in the first half as he tallied 11 points, making four shots in five attempts, including 2-2 from beyond the arc.
 
With the performance from King and his teammates, RU jumped out to a 31-25 lead with three minutes to go in the opening period. The Rattlers battled back and nailed a jumpshot at the halftime buzzer to cut the Regis lead to only two points, 37-35, heading into the break. Senior Elijah Sanders scored seven points in 15 minutes while also tracking down three rebounds for the Rangers.
 
Less than two minutes into the second half RU lost the lead but on the ensuing possession King drove the lane, banking a floater off glass to get the lead right back. A dunk from junior Troy Anderson II followed by a three-pointer from sophomore Ryan Beisty put Regis back on top by six, 44-38.
 
With 13 minutes to go, StMU was within a single point of the Rangers but junior Dexter Sienko found a spot in the corner where he knocked down a three-point jumper to give the team a 54-50 cushion.
 
Reshirt freshman Taffy Tela knocked down his second three-pointer of the game to go up 57-50 only seconds later. Not much changed over the following eight minutes, but with three minutes to go and Regis clinging to a 78-71 lead, the Rattlers made one last ditch effort.
 
StMU got the lead down to three points after a made three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining in the half and from that point on it was free throws the rest of the way for the Rangers. King nailed one of two free throws, and Sienko splashed his pair bringing the score to 84-80, and that is how the game would end with RU on top.  
 
As a team Regis shot 52.7 percent (29-55) from the floor including 11-18 (61.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Rangers were slightly outrebounded 24-22, but they held the edge in the assists department 15-13.
 
Sienko finished with 21 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 3FG) to lead all scorers while also tracking down a team-high six rebounds. King followed with 18 points as he shot 6-9 from the field and 2-2 from the three-point line. Beisty (11 points, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3FG) and Anderson II (10 points, 3-6 FG, 2-3 3FG) were the two other players to score in double-figures for RU. Freshman Christian Little turned in a great all-around performance scoring nine points, picking up a team-high five assists and grabbing four rebounds.
 
Looking forward, the men's basketball team will return home for their next four games. Their next date of competition will be this Wednesday, November 16, as Johnson and Wales University makes a visit to the Regis Fieldhouse for a game at 7 p.m.