LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Entering the final weekend of the regular season and fighting for its RMAC Tournament playoff hopes, the Regis University men's basketball team grinded out a crucial, 80-76, road win over New Mexico Highlands University on Friday to remain in control of its own playoff destiny.
Regis (12-15 overall, 9-12 RMAC) will head into Saturday's regular season finale against Colorado State University Pueblo tied for the seventh spot in the RMAC standings, holding head-to-head tiebreakers against MSU Denver and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
The loss was crippling for the Cowboys (10-17 overall, 8-13 RMAC), who fall to 10th in the RMAC standings — top eight make the RMAC Tournament — and drop to 0-2 in the season series against the Rangers, who also now own that tiebreaker.
"That was as important of a game as we've had all year with all that was riding on it and the scenarios we have. I think this is a good New Mexico Highlands team that we're really balanced with," said Regis head men's basketball coach, Brady Bergeson. "It took a lot of courage on our guys part. It got ugly at times, but we just scratched and clawed and found a way. Our guys were very determined tonight and we could feel it in the group all game long."
HOW IT HAPPENED: As the Rangers did in the first matchup against the Cowboys, their defense was able to frustrate and take Cowboys' star guard Dante Moses, the second leading scorer in the RMAC at 24.1 points per game, out of a flow early.
Moses got into early foul trouble and was limited to just two points in three minutes of action in the first half. Regis took advantage, building a 36-30 lead at the break.
In the second half, Moses would help bring the Cowboys back as he poured in 31 of his game-high 33 points over the final 20 minutes.
NMHU would lead by as many as six points in the second half at 65-59 with 7:18 remaining, and held its last lead at 67-66 with 3:43 left, before the Rangers received some big-time plays of their own from graduate student guard David Simental, senior forward Aaron Bokol and sophomore forward, Brayden Carter.
The trio combined to score 34 of the Rangers' 44 second-half points, with Simental scoring 12 of his team-high 19 points, Carter pouring in 13 of his 16 and Bokol adding nine of his 18 points all in the final frame.
Simental gave the Rangers the lead back with a 3-pointer at 69-67, while Bokol and Carter followed with baskets in succession, to put the Rangers back in front 74-69 with 2:06 remaining.
"We had some of our more experienced guys step up and make big plays, on both sides of the ball, and make big shots," Bergeson said. "Brayden gave us a big lift hitting three 3-pointers (Friday), Aaron made a big three, and then Simental really stepped up and was very determined to help push us through that game."
GAME NOTES:
- Bokol grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to complete his seventh double-double of the 2022-23 season
- Junior guard Eddy Egun and graduate student forward Jas Singh each added eight points to compliment the Rangers scoring
- After entering the ballgame with six career made 3-pointers, Carter finished a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc on Friday
- Regis as a team shot a season-high 54 percent (13-for-24) from 3-point range
- Junior guard CJ Reed finished with a team-high three assists
UP NEXT: The Rangers will look to punch their ticket into the RMAC Tournament with a win on Saturday in the regular season finale against CSU Pueblo. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. inside Massari Arena.
Regis won the first matchup against the ThunderWolves, 70-69, back on January 27th.
"We're going to try to rest and recover tonight because we know what's on the line (Saturday). It'll be a very similar build up in our intensity and approach that, 'This is a must-win game,'" Bergeson said. "We're going to go into it like that, no matter the potential scenarios. We want to be able to control our own destiny. I think our guys are ready and prepared for that challenge again."
