Box Score DENVER, Colo. – The Regis University men's basketball team (17-7, 11-7 RMAC) beat their cross-town rivals, Metropolitan State University – Denver (15-10, 11-8 RMAC) 82-80, as junior
Dexter Sienko nails buzzer-beater.
After a heart-breaking loss in the last matchup between the two teams, it was Regis who came away with a last-second game-winner as time expired. Sienko (3-5 FG, 4-4 FT) was the hero of the game as his tenth and final point of the game extended the team's winning streak to four-straight.
How It Happened: Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the first half as neither team hit on more than 37 percent of their attempts from the field. Sophomores
Jarrett Brodbeck and
Ryan Beisty led the way with eight points in the first half as junior
Kevin Metoyer and freshman
Christian Little both dished out three assists apiece. Beisty had two three-pointers, and the team had eight fast break points that helped the Rangers to a 34-29 advantage at halftime.
The Roadrunners fought their way back early in the second half, eventually taking a 45-42 lead with a little less than 13 minutes on the clock. Minutes later, the home team extended the lead to 51-44 and forced RU to call a timeout.
MSU-Denver put their foot on the gas as they went up by as much as 14 points. Regis stuck around and began chipping away at the lead. Brodbeck hit two crucial three-point jumpers to help get the Rangers within four points. Senior
Noah King then made two free-throws and hit a big three-pointer to bring the score to 70-72 in favor of the Roadrunners. On the next possession, Metoyer joined the action and knocked down a trifecta of his own to take a 73-72 lead with three minutes to go.
A dunk from MSU-Denver ensued, but King retaliated with another shot from beyond the arc to take a two-point lead, 78-76. The teams found themselves tied at 80 points apiece with 10 seconds to go in regulation. With the final possession of regulation, Metoyer got a wide-open shot in the corner. The shot bounced off the rim, was tipped around, and eventually found its way to the hands of a waiting Sienko, who gathered the rebound and put the layup off the glass and in the hoop for an 82-80 Regis win.
Game Notes: Brodbeck (6-15 FG, 3-7 3-pt) finished with a game-high 20 points, Metoyer (6-11 FG, 3-6 3-pt, 4-4 FT) added 19, five assists and three rebounds. In all, six players scored in double-digits for RU, and they needed every one of them in the end. Regis had 22 points in the paint, 15 second-chance points and ten points off turnovers. Despite being outrebounded 43-34, Beisty had a team-high seven boards, and team found a way to pull out the victory.
Next Up for the Rangers: The men's basketball team will be back in action this Tuesday, February 14, for a mid-week game with the Chadron State College Eagles (2-20, 2-16 RMAC). The game will be played in the Regis Fieldhouse and is scheduled for 7 p.m.
