DENVER, Colo. – The Regis University men's basketball team (5-0) remains unbeaten as they completed a 12-point comeback against the Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks (4-2) on Saturday night. Regis came away with the 103-93 overtime victory to improve to 5-0 in non-conference play thanks to a career-high 25 points and relentless attacking from sophomore Christian Little.
 
How It Happened: The Rangers did not lead for one second in the entire regulation periods. In the first half, the Nighthawks took their largest lead 25-37 with 5:37 to go before halftime. A three-point bucket from freshman Brian Dawson (career-high 15 PTS, 4-5 FG, 1-2 3-pt, 6-6 FT) at the buzzer cut the deficit to eight points, 38-46, as the teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime.
 
RU trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, but they constantly cut the lead to within three or five points, but were never able to tie or take the lead. Senior Dexter Sienko (16 PTS, 6-9 FG, 4-8 FT, 7 REB) hit a layup at the 8:18 mark of the second half to bring Regis within two points 68-66, but NNU responded with back-to-back scores to go back in front by six.
 
A 9-0 run by the Rangers late in the game capped off by back-to-back layups from sophomore Christian Little (career-high 25 PTS, 9-14 FG, 7-9 FT, 6 REB, 4 AST) knotted the game at 82 points apiece. With 37 seconds on the clock, the Nighthawks got a layup to take an 86-84 lead. Little put his head down, drove the lane and absorbed the contact, laying his shot off the glass and into the basket with only six seconds left in the half. NNU drove down the court and as they put up a shot junior Avonte Nelms (7 PTS, 5 REB, 1 BLK) blocked the attempt and the clock ran out with the score tied at 86.
 
The teams headed into overtime and that is when RU finally found a rhythm. Regis scored the first nine points of the overtime period before the Nighthawks got a layup after almost four minutes of play. The Rangers extended their lead to as many as 11 points, twice, before the horn finally sounded. RU won the game 103-93 for their fifth-consecutive win to start the 2017-18 season.
 
Game Notes: Both Little and Dawson had career nights in the scoring column scoring 25 and 15 points, respectively. The team shot 54 percent from the field, a season-high, on their way to a season-high 103 points. Sienko added 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds with junior Jarrett Brodbeck (15 PTS< 5-16="" fg,="" 3-12="" 3-pt)="" added="" 15="" and="" senior="" ty="" mcgee="" finished="" with="" 11="" (3-6="" fg,="" 5-7="" ft).="" regis="" outscored="" their="" opponent="" 44-24="" in="" the="" paint,="" and="" forced="" 20="" turnovers="" which="" turned="" into="" 21="" points="" on="" the="" offensive="">
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The men's basketball team will begin conference play this Saturday as they welcome the Colorado Christian University Cougars to the Regis Fieldhouse for a game at 3:30 p.m. The following day, the Orediggers of Colorado School of Mines will make their way to Denver for a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.