DENVER, Colo. – A meeting between the Regis University men's basketball team (12-6, 9-3 RMAC) and the Fort Lewis Skyhawks (9-9, 4-8 RMAC) set the stage for a rematch of the 2018 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship. Once again, Regis came away as victors with a final score of 78-70 inside Regis Fieldhouse.

How It happened: 3:39 ran off the clock before freshman Toni Rocak was able to connect on the Rangers first basket of the contest, giving them a 3-2 lead. They were able to hold their lead for nearly four minutes before the Skyhawks were able to jump back in front, 9-8, with a pair of free-throws.

RU played from behind for just 26 seconds, scoring on their next offensive possession in which junior Roberto Vercellino assisted sophomore Tomas Auruskevicius on his first made three-pointer of the game. The trey sparked a 9-0 Regis run, giving them a 17-9 advantage that they did not relinquish throughout the 12 minutes left in the first half.

Junior Christian Little gave the Rangers their largest lead of the half, 22-13, knocking down a jumper assisted by sophomore Taffy Tela. The Skyhawks answered back, scoring five unanswered points in less than a minute to close the gap, 22-18.

The Skyhawks outscored RU 11-10 in the last four minutes of the half in which both teams put on a show of back-and-forth fast-break layups. RU went into the locker room with a 34-29 edge.

Vercellino got the second half scoring started with a layup but the Skyhawks were able to score five-straight, pulling within two, 36-34.

The Regis offense stalled, shooting 0-for-7 over the span of 3:41. The Skyhaws took advantage of the Rangers offensive miscues, erupting with a 10-0 and claiming a 46-41 lead.

Fort Lewis led by as many as four with 11:54 left on the game clock, but RU flipped the script with an 8-0 run of their own that featured six points from sophomore Brian Dawson.

Senior Jarrett Brodbeck assisted a Vercellino three-pointer from the top of the key, sparking another 10-0 Regis run as they held the Skyhawks scoreless over a period of 4:40. Fort Lewis stopped the bleeding with two-made free-throws with 3:03 remaining in the game.

The Skyhawks outscored the Rangers 13-10 in the final two minutes, but RU held on to their lead, securing a 78-70 victory.

Game Notes: Rocak led the team with a team-high and career-high 17 points. He made 6-of-9 field goals including a perfect 1-for-1 from three-point range. RU shot 41.3 percent from the field and had four players in double-digits.

Regis out rebounded the Skyhawks 49-30. Rocak recorded a double-double with a team-high 13 boards.

Up Next for the Rangers: The Regis University men's basketball team will end their four-game home stretch on Saturday, January 26 as they host Adams State University at 5 p.m.