N.M. Highlands NMH 10-16,7-14 RMAC

Regis (CO) Regis 15-12,12-9 RMAC

N.M. Highlands NMH

10-16,7-14 RMAC

Final

Mar. 01, 2024

Regis (CO) Regis

15-12,12-9 RMAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
N.M. Highlands NMH	34	42	76
Regis (CO) Regis	47	35	82

Summary
Box Score

Billy Saunders, Regis Athletics

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | Mar 02 | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

Rangers hold off late charge by Cowboys, earn 82-76 win to open final home stand

DENVER, Colo. — Squaring off a New Mexico Highlands team fighting for its playoff lives, the Regis University men's basketball team withstood a second-half run and ended up leading wire-to-wire in an 82-76 victory over the visiting Cowboys.

With the win, the Rangers (15-12 overall, 12-9 RMAC) have guaranteed themselves no worse than a fifth-place finish in the RMAC regular season standings heading into Saturday's season finale against Colorado State University Pueblo (7 p.m.).

"Pesky is a good way to describe New Mexico Highlands, I have to give them a ton of credit. They were playing for their playoff hopes and we knew they'd come at us for 40 minutes and they did," said Regis head men's basketball coach, Brady Bergeson. "I really credit our guys because, we've been dealing with some sickness and weren't at our physical best, but they are a no excuses group and mentally I thought we were tough as nails. They continued to grind through a 40-minute game against an opponent that wouldn't go away."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rangers came out as the aggressors Friday, jumping out to a 14-6 lead and maintaining a double-digit lead most of the first half, with the high-water mark coming at 39-19 with 5:47 remaining in the first half.

New Mexico Highlands (10-16 overall, 7-14 RMAC) were able to trim that deficit down to 13 at 47-34 heading into the halftime locker rooms.

"Initially, we were doing a really good job of taking care of the basketball and then in the second part of the first half I thought we started to get a little loose with the ball," Bergeson said. "We gave up some offensive boards and run-outs in transition that allowed them to close the gap."

The Cowboys kept chipping away in the second half and pulled back within one possession at 63-61 with 7:10 remaining.

Regis would not waver, though, as sophomore guard Chase Mayo Harmon and redshirt junior guard Eddy Egun were front and center in a number of key baskets down the stretch that helped keep the Cowboys' at bay.

Mayo Harmon dropped 13 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and made three key 3-pointers over the final 5:19; all three coming in situations where NMHU had trimmed the Regis lead down to 2-3 points.

His final 3-pointer came at the 1:29 mark to give the Rangers a 78-72 lead.

As for Egun, who added 18 points of his own Friday, he scored or assisted on the Rangers' final three baskets of the game, including an assist to freshman guard Jalen Brown with 34 seconds remaining that sealed the 82-76 final.

"I thought our poise down the stretch in the second half is what stood out to me. It wasn't easy and yet our playmakers just found ways to attack and create things for each other and that's kind of who we are," Bergeson said. "We had multiple guys step up in big situations."

GAME NOTES

Senior guard Tarig Eisa had a big night of his own, scoring 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds while adding two blocks to his RMAC lead.
Brown was the fourth Ranger in double-figures with 13 points off the bench on 5-for-9 shooting.
Junior guard Trey Bryant led all Regis players with eight rebounds, five coming on the offensive end.
Mayo Harmon led all Regis players with five of the team's 20 assists.

UP NEXT
The Rangers conclude the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday with a 7 p.m. home game against CSU Pueblo on Senior Night. Regis could finish No. 5 or No. 6 in the RMAC standings depending on Saturday's result, and what MSU Denver does against Adams State.

But the Rangers will wait to worry about that until Sunday morning.

"'Playoffs' is not a word in our locker room right now. Pueblo is the only word and focus going into tomorrow," Bergeson said. "It's an important game for us and we're focused on what we need to do to be a better basketball team. We won't peek around the corner until the dust settles tomorrow night to see who we're facing and where we're going."

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