DENVER, Colo. – A hardy defense and a physical game was in the cards for the Regis University women's basketball team as they took on the Colorado State University Pueblo ThunderWolves in the quarterfinal matchup of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament on Tuesday.
The Rangers (23-6 overall) took the win, 72-57, while holding the ThunderWolves (14-15 overall) to a .354 (23-65) field goal shooting percentage and limiting them to only nine points in the second quarter and 13 in the fourth.
Senior guard Josey Ryan led all Rangers in points with 17 while graduate student forward Erin Stroberg recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
"Our rebounding was not where it needed to be in the first and I challenged them pretty hard in the locker room at half time to up our rebounding effort on both ends," said Regis women's basketball head coach, Molly Marrin. "We started the third with an inspiring display of offensive board effort and that really set the tone for us in the second half.
How It Happened: A back-and-forth first quarter that ended in a tie at 18-18 was setting the Tuesday night matchup to be a hotly contested one, but the Rangers' defense saw to it that the night would end in their favor.
A 2-3 zone defense in the second quarter for the Rangers allowed CSU Pueblo to take more chances at the three-point line, but aggressive coverage and missed shots led to the ThunderWolves only scoring a measly nine points in the second. The Pack would record their lowest shooting percentage of the night at 20 percent (3-15).
Going into halftime with the lead at 35-27, the Rangers kept their composure and recorded another 17 points and six offensive rebounds just in the third quarter alone. By the end of the night, the Rangers doubled the Pack's rebounds, 53-26, with 18 of those rebounds coming from offensive boards.
"When you have over 50 boards in a game that speaks to hustle, heart, and toughness and I'm super proud of our toughness and composure tonight," said Marrin.
In the final 10 minutes of the night, the Rangers scored 20 more points and grabbed 19 rebounds to the Pack's seven and helped keep possession in their favor to put the game out of reach for CSU Pueblo.
Four different Rangers finished in double-digit points. Ryan led with 17, while junior guard Erin Fry and senior forward Sam Deem both recorded 14. Stroberg rounded out the double-digit scoring effort with 12 points.
"We stayed locked into who we are and when they took something away, we found another opening as a group," said Marrin. "Our balance showed once again that we are truly a team. I'm ecstatic about their drive and will to win. We still have so much to prove and are playing like it."
Game Notes:
- Junior guard Madison Diercks had good minutes off the bench with seven points, one rebound, and two assists
- CSU Pueblo took advantage of turnovers, scoring 15 points off of them to Regis' 8
- Second chance points continue to be a strong suit for the Rangers, scoring 14 on the night
Up Next: As the top seed in the RMAC tournament, the Rangers will host the remainder of the tournament, including their quarterfinal matchup against Adams State. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
"This game and the pressure prepared us well for what we will see with full court pressure on Friday from Adams State. They are an excellent defensive team and we're ready," said Marrin.
