COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In a game with 12 lead changes, the Regis University men's basketball team (6-3, 3-1 RMAC) fell short, 84-80, against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (4-5, 2-2 RMAC) on Saturday night, marking the first conference loss of the season.

How It Happened: A steal by Senior Avonte Nelms led to a layup that jump started the Rangers offense after starting the game 0-for-3 from the field. The Mountain Lions led early 5-2, but RU used a 16-0 run to take an 18-5 advantage.

The run featured buckets by five different Regis players. Junior Christian Little sparked the run with a layup and junior Roberto Vercellino nailed a three-pointer on the next offensive trip. Senior Jarrett Brodbeck made both of his free-throw attempts before adding a triple of his own. Senior Ryan Beisty assisted sophomore Brian Dawson for a two-point jumper before freshman Toni Rocak ended the run with back-to-back layups.

When it looked as if the Rangers were pulling-away, UCCS drained two-straight from distance to cut the lead to seven, 18-11.

The Mountain Lions regained the lead, 24-23, stringing together an 8-0 run of their own. There were five lead changes in the last 10 minutes of the opening period, but it was UCCS that took a 45-43 halftime advantage after scoring the last eight points of the half.

Little made the first basket of the second half to tie the score at 45 apiece. The game remained tight as neither team could create separation of more than four points through the first seven minutes of the half. The score-line was evened at 53 with 13:55 left to play.

UCCS was able to generate momentum, making two-straight from downtown and putting down a dunk to take a 63-55 advantage. RU used a trey from junior Taffy Tela to stop the Mountain Lions run.

Regis trailed by five for four minutes before Rocak slammed home a dunk to cut the deficit to three, 69-66. Vercellino followed with a tip-in to bring the Rangers within one. RU took the lead, after trailing for 11 minutes, with four-straight made free-throws by Dawson.

The Mountain Lions made a three-pointer to take a 78-76 advantage with 1:29 remaining in the game. Little managed to tie the game with a layup the next offensive possession for Regis. The teams traded layups to bring the score to 80-80 with just 40 seconds left on the clock.

The Rangers allowed a UCCS game-winning layup with 14 second to play. RU was unable to capitalize on their last possession and the Mountain Lions handed Regis their first conference loss of the season.

Game Notes: Brodbeck (8-15 FG, 3-5 3-PT) paced the Rangers with 25 points on 53.3 percent shooting. Three other RU players added double-digits; Little (6-12 FG, 13 PTS), Dawson (3-6, 12 PTS), and Vercellino (5-8, 1-2 3-PT, 11 PTS).

Regis shot 43.5 percent from the field while holding the Mountain Lions to just 40.6 percent. Both teams made 31.3 percent of their three-pointers, but UCCS made 10 compared to the Rangers five.

Beisty pulled-down seven rebounds to contribute to the teams' 38. The Mountain Lions had 45.

Up Next for the Rangers: The Regis University men's basketball team will play Colorado School of Mines tomorrow, December, 16 at 3 p.m. in Golden, Colorado.