LAS VEGAS, N.M. – For the second-straight game, the Regis University men's basketball team (14-5, 8-5 RMAC) picked-up a conference victory by double-digits. This time it was a 76-66 win over the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys (12-8, 7-7 RMAC) on the road.
How It Happened: Regis trailed early on in the game, but they regrouped quickly to jump ahead of the home team 8-6 on a layup from senior
Dexter Sienko (19 pts, 9-11 FG, 2 BLK, 2 STL). The Rangers continued to put the pressure on the Cowboys for the remainder of the half, earning a 37-27 halftime lead and holding NMHU to 36.4 percent shooting.
The second half was controlled by RU who extended their lead to 15 points, 60-45, as junior
Jarrett Brodbeck (6 pts, 1-3 FG, 4-4 FT) swished two free-throws with less than eight minutes to go in the second half. The gap decreased a little as the game continued, but Regis never allowed the Cowboys to come any closer than 73-66 in the final minute of play.
After struggling from the free-throw line over the past few games, the Rangers knocked in their foul shots in crunch time tonight, converting on 15-of-18 shots (83.3 percent) of their attempts. This allowed them to hold on to the 76-66 road win against NMHU.
Game Notes: Sienko led the way with 19 points on the offensive end, collecting two blocks and two steals on the defensive side of the ball. Sophomore
Christian Little added 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, with five rebounds and a team-high four assists. Freshman
Brian Dawson continues to shoot well in his debut season scoring 13 points in 17 minutes, going 6-of-7 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.
As a team, RU shot 56.9 percent from the field, their second-best shooting percentage in a game this season. The team took a season-low 10 three-point shots, making three of them, on their way to the win. Regis grabbed 27 rebounds to only 24 for the Cowboys, while the Rangers bench outscored the home squad's bench 23-15.
Up Next for the Rangers: The men's team will make a quick trip back to Colorado for a game against the Colorado State University – Pueblo ThunderWolves tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in Pueblo.
