DENVER – The Regis University women's basketball team's quantity of made shots and strong defense proved pivotal as the Rangers cruised to a 75-46 victory against Adams State at Regis Field House on Monday.
 
"I think all the credit goes to the kids," said Regis University Head Women's Basketball Coach Molly Marrin. "They've grown leaps and bounds with each practice, with each game. Again, we've been limited. To go from Friday morning, thinking all the tests come back negative to we're playing Friday morning to that game get canceled then to learn Friday afternoon [the game against] Metro[politan State University of Denver]'s canceled too. I mean that's a lot to ask them.
 
"We have three games scheduled in four days, and they could've just as easily come in on practice on Sunday and held their heads down, but they didn't, and that's not who this group is. And so, that's the thing. I think the resiliency through all of the COVID changes and still seeing the amount of growth that we've seen in this team is a credit to them and their mental toughness, and their togetherness, and that's I think showed itself in teamwork I think today on the court."
 
How It Happened: Holding a solid 45-21 lead to start the second half, senior forward Whitney Jacob made a jumper with 8:21 to go in the third quarter, giving Regis a 47-21 advantage. This was all RU needed to claim the win in a contest in which it never trailed.
 
Jacob gave the Rangers an early 2-0 lead with a layup just 48 seconds into the contest.
 
Redshirt junior forward Kaitlyn Bell of the Grizzlies responded with a layup to tie the game, 2-2, at the first quarter's 8:49 mark.
 
The first quarter featured two more ties. However, Regis ended the quarter on a 5-0 run that commenced on senior forward Tashika Burrell's successful free-throw line trip with 1:32 to go in the opening frame, and freshman guard Madison Diercks gave RU a 16-11 lead with a layup that the Rangers took into the end of the quarter with 24 seconds left on the clock.
 
Regis's run extended into a 10-0 one early in the second quarter. Sophomore guard Morgan R. Smith sank a trey at the 9:53 mark, and the run ended on freshman guard Erin Fry's layup with 9:27 remaining in the second.
 
RU kept the offense going midway through the second and went on an 11-0 run that lasted less than a minute and kicked off on senior forward Grace O'Neill's layup at the second quarter's 6:46 clock reading and ceased after Burrell's 3-pointer with 5:56 to go before halftime. Burrell's basket brought the Rangers to a commanding 32-13 lead.
 
Sophomore forward Morgan L. Smith's pair of free throws at the 10-second mark of the second quarter represented the first half's last points and sent Regis to a 45-21 advantage at the half. In fact, Morgan L. Smith was responsible for RU's last seven points of the half.
 
The Rangers' defense was stellar during the second quarter, holding Adams State to no more than two consecutive points and 10 points for the frame while preventing ASU from making a single trey.
 
Regis turned its momentum at the end of the first half into an eventual 6-0 run. Jacob's aforementioned jumper at the 8:21 mark of the third quarter was followed by O'Neill's layup with 8:08 left in the third. O'Neill's layup to cap the run gave RU a 49-21 lead.
 
The Grizzlies started to shrink their deficit not long after, going on a 7-0 run that came to be on junior guard/forward Kayla Harris's layup at the 7:24 mark, and she bookended the run with another layup with 5:01 remaining in the third. The latter layup made the score, 49-28.
 
The Rangers returned to keeping Adams State's runs small for the rest of the third and closed the quarter on Jacob's pair of free throws at the 14-second mark to send Regis to a 61-34 advantage going into the final frame.
 
Following an O'Neill jumper 41 seconds into the fourth, ASU went on a 6-0 run. Bell's layup opened the run with 9:09 on the clock, and a jumper by Harris closed it with 7:05 to go in the contest, with Harris's score cutting the RU advantage to 63-40.
 
The Rangers' longest runs of the last 10 minutes were both five with the second span taking Regis to its largest lead of the game. Morgan L. Smith converted a layup at the 4:42 mark, which was followed by a layup and free throw by freshman forward Olivia Pitroff with 3:09 and 1:29 left in the fourth, respectively. Pitroff's free throw brought RU to a 73-42 advantage.
 
The lead returned to 31 again, 74-43, on freshman forward Kate Murphy's free throw at the 25-second mark.
 
A free throw by Diercks marked the game's final point with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.
 
Game Notes: Jacob recorded game-highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds en route to her eighth double-double of the season. She also had a share of the team-high two steals and two blocks. Burrell scored 15 points and had four rebounds, four assists, and a share of the team-high two steals. O'Neill registered 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, a game-high three blocks, and one steal. Morgan L. Smith had 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Fry contributed five points, two rebounds, and a game-high five assists.
 
The Rangers came away with a 25-for-55 (45.5 percent) outcome from the paint, a 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) result from 3-point range, and a 19-for-26 (73.1 percent) performance at the free-throw line. In comparison, the Grizzlies made 19 of 61 (31.1 percent) from the field, one of 13 (7.7 percent) from the arc, and seven of 15 (46.7 percent) at the charity stripe.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis climbs to a 5-6 record overall and a 5-5 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. RU next embarks on a road trip and will face a test against No. 14 Western Colorado (9-1, 8-1 RMAC) at Paul Wright Gym on Friday at 5:30 p.m.