Adams St. ASC 12-16,8-14 RMAC

Regis (CO) Regis 18-9,13-8 RMAC

Adams St. ASC

12-16,8-14 RMAC

Final

Feb. 26, 2022

Regis (CO) Regis

18-9,13-8 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Adams St. ASC	32	35	67
Regis (CO) Regis	33	47	80

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | Feb 26 | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

Rangers open second half on 20-2 run, roll to an 80-67 win on Senior Day against Adams State

DENVER, Colo. — Propelled by a suffocating defensive effort, the Regis men's basketball team ended the 2021-22 regular season in style Saturday, forcing 29 turnovers and picking off 20 steals en route to an 80-67 home win over Adams State University.

The win snapped a four-game skid for the Rangers (18-9 overall, 13-8 RMAC) and gave them a season sweep of the Grizzlies (12-16 overall, 8-14 RMAC) after defeating ASU, 95-93, in Alamosa back on January 28^th.

Saturday's Senior Night performance also provided the team a chance to celebrate and gain confidence before the squad tips off RMAC Tournament action at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Regis finishes the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the RMAC standings and will travel to face No. 3 Fort Lewis College.

"This team has been battling through a lot of adversity recently, and obviously it's been a hard stretch. But No. 1, we were able to honor our seniors and have emotional attachment to the home game," said Regis head men's basketball coach, Brady Bergeson. "Then on top of that, it was great to be able to play pretty well and head into the playoffs on a positive note. More than anything else, I think our guys needed that feel of a winning in the locker room again because we've been doing a lot of good things but hadn't had the results."

HOW IT HAPPENED: After holding a slim 33-32 lead at the break, the Rangers dominated the opening minutes of the second half as they opened on a 20-2 run spanning the first 4:57 of game action to balloon their lead to 53-34 with 15:03 remaining.

Junior guard Will Cranston-Lown and graduate student Brian Dawson combined for 15 of the Rangers' 20 points during a run that was initially sparked by the RU defense.

"That run hinged on our post defense. Our big guys did a really good job of not allowing the ball into the post, which is when Adams State is at its best, and we kind of prevented that," Bergeson said. "I thought the forced mistakes (by ASU) came off of that since we forced them into things they didn't necessarily want to do. That was a real key to the game and I thought we did a much better job at the start of the second half committing to that."

Regis would go on to lead by as many as 23 points in the second half — the largest lead being 60-37 with 13:50 remaining courtesy of a Troy Brady 3-pointer — and cruised to the 80-67 final.

Four Regis players finished in double-figures, led by Cranston-Lown with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Cranston-Lown would add four assists and a career-high seven steals as well on Saturday; tied for the second most in a single game in program history.

Dawson poured in 14 points and nabbed four steals, while fellow senior Ilisia Washington added 12 points and four assists in 19 minutes off the bench.

Freshman forward Brayden Carter was the fourth Ranger in double-figures with 13 points, 11 of which came in the opening 20 minutes to pace the Regis first-half offense.

"Brayden was really active, defensively, and finished a lot of baskets around the rim and hit a three that got him going a little bit," Bergeson said. "He is slowly but surely coming on as a young player. He's loaded with talent and excited about what he's bringing to our team right now as a spark off the bench, but the future is very bright for him, as well."

KEY STATISTICS: The 29 turnovers by the Grizzlies on Saturday were the most forced by the Regis defense this season, while the 20 steals are tied for the second most in a single game in program history. The feat was previously accomplished on Jan. 7, 1995 against Michigan-Dearborn.

The school record for steals in a game is 22, set on Jan. 6, 1988 against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

"That ball pressure has been a staple of ours and I really think the guys came in very prepared," Bergeson said of his defense. "There are things that Adams State does very well and I thought we were discipline enough to take that away. To be able to steal 29 possessions from them, that made a huge difference in the game."

SENIOR DAY: Prior to Saturday's game, the Regis Department of Athletics and men's basketball program honored its three graduating student-athletes in Brian Dawson, Ilisia Washington and Troy Brady.

Ilisia Washington
"He brought an energy, a positivity and a personality to our team that we've fed off of. He's really enriched our culture." – Coach Bergeson

Troy Brady
"Troy is one of the greatest kids I'll ever coach and a future coach himself. He's just an absolute pleasure and stands for all the right things." – Coach Bergeson

Brian Dawson
"Brian was with us for our RMAC Championship run five years ago as a freshman. His maturity and journey has been remarkable. He'll go down as one of the better players in Regis history and the legacy he leaves on our program is one of the best. He'll be a shining example for us for years to come."- Coach Bergeson

UP NEXT: The RMAC announced late Saturday evening the final standings and seeding for the RMAC Tournament. Regis heads into the postseason as the No. 6 seed and will travel to face No. 3 Fort Lewis College on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Whalen Gymnasium.

Regis split the 2021-22 season series against the Skyhawks, winning 81-71 in Durango back on Dec. 17, 2021, and has won five of the past seven matchups overall against FLC.

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