GOLDEN, Colo. – A second quarter offensive performance of 26 points and a defensive performance that limited Cameron University to four points in the fourth quarter sealed the 73-51 win for the Regis University women's basketball team on Saturday.
The Rangers (5-1 overall) amassed a whopping 53 rebounds–tied for seventh all-time in a single game–and shot no less than 62% in the second quarter en route to their fifth win of the season over the Aggies (2-4 overall).
"This morning we talked about bouncing back after a tough loss like last night's and as a result, I think our focus was even tighter from the beginning," said Regis women's basketball head coach, Molly Marrin. "We came in more united which is such a great sign to see coming after a loss. Our mindset and our approach at the start was great."
How It Happened: Graduate student guard Josey Ryan led the offensive charge for the Rangers in the second quarter as she led all with seven points within the 10 ten minutes.
A layup at the 9:21 mark from senior forward Olivia Pitrof triggered the Rangers' offensive run that featured nine back-to-back stops from the Regis defense and inflated their lead to as many as 18 at the 2:02 mark while only allowing the Aggies to score 10.
"We talked about sharing the ball more and finding the other person. In the open court, we ran our sprint lanes better and we were able to rebound the basketball which is the key to us starting our transition which helps us score," said Marrin. "It connected things that we normally do well and allowed us to utilize our strengths."
Up 18 going into the half, the Aggies answered back with 24 points of their own in the third quarter, but Regis was having no part of it as they scored 18 of their own to keep the lead, 59-47 going into the fourth.
But by no means were the Rangers taking the remaining ten minutes easy as they held Cameron to a minuscule 2-for-21 (9.5%) from the field, the Aggies' second-lowest shooting percentage in a single quarter so far.
Regis' 53 total rebounds–43 defensive, 10 offensive–ties for seventh in the all-time single game rebounds record.
Those 43 defensive rebounds, according to available university records, are the most single-game defensive rebounds in program history.
"We talked about us being an undersized lineup so 53 rebounds is incredibly impressive with five people under six-foot in that starting lineup, that's amazing," Marrin said. "Sam's 18 boards, what a beast. She had a great weekend, she was the glue for us offensively, defensively, and confident. 18 rebounds is, wow. Madison figures out how to do it, she knows that's what we need, she's a utility player and she'll do whatever we need her to do to win."
Both fourth-year Madison Diercks and graduate student guard Sam Deem posted their first double-doubles of the season.
Deem's performance earned herself a place in the record books as her 18 rebounds on the night ties for fifth in the all-time single game rebounds record, offensively, she posted 12 total points.
Alongside Deem, Diercks posted 10 boards and netted 10 points for her first double-double in her career as a Ranger.
Ryan finished with 17 points while Saragozs rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points on the night.
Game Notes:
- Regis out-assisted Cameron, 15-5
- The Rangers' bench was a huge contribution with 16 total points
- Regis led Cameron in fast break scoring, 10-2
Up Next: The Rangers return to the Regis Field House to open conference play on Dec. 1 against Black Hills State University. BHSU forced an early exit for the Rangers last season as they defeated Regis in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Championship Tournament.
"I'd love to have the girls answer that question because they're excited and obviously we're playing a team that ended our season last year," said Marrin. "They're a great team and we're excited for that battle to open RMAC with Black Hills."
