GOLDEN, Colo. – The Regis University Men's Basketball team, seeded No. 2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, lost to top-seeded Colorado School of Mines, who was ranked #9 in both of the most recent D2CSC and DII NABC Coaches Polls, in the Conference Tournament Championship Game 92-64 on Saturday night. The Rangers fall to 18-13, while the Orediggers improve to 27-4.
Colorado School of Mines captures their third RMAC Tournament Championship, and their first since 2017. They earn the RMAC's automatic bid into the NCAA DII National Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Orediggers came out swinging from the opening tip, scoring the first eight points of the game. Eddy Egun's layup got RU on the scoreboard, and Chase Mayo Harmon hit two from the line, but Mines used a barrage of threes to extend their lead to 30-4. Jalen Brown found Jalen Page for two back-to-back layups, then hit a turnaround jumper, but the Orediggers' lead continued to grow. Brown found Page and Olafur Styrmission in the paint for a pair of layups, then the Rangers hit a pair of triples, one by Trey Bryant and the other by Mayo Harmon to bring the score to 24-50. Ty Cox connected on a corner three to end the half, but RU trailed, 55-27.
Page scored in the paint again early in the second, while Brown and Cox scored from deep, but CSM was able to match each basket. Egun connected on two from the free throw line, then added a jumper and layup to bring the score to 41-65 with 13:00 left. Mines stayed hot from deep, pushing the advantage to 38 points before Mayo Harmon set up Page's layup, then drove for one of his own. Late in the game, Egun converted an and-one and hit a three, and Bryant found Dylan Forbord for another, but in the end, Mines would prevail, 92-64.
GAME NOTES
· Egun led the Rangers with 18 points
· Brown had five points, six assists, and five rebounds
· Mayo Harmon scored 13
· Majok Deng led all scorers with 23 points, going 5-6 from deep
· CSM outshot Regis from the floor, 59% - 42%, and from three, 40% - 33%
RMAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Majok Deng (MVP) – CSM
Markus Pastorcic-Straun - CSM
Cade Mankle - CSM
Riley Schroeder – CSM
Chase Mayo Harmon – RU
Jalen Brown – RU
Chuol Deng – FLC
Cam Lowe - BHSU
UP NEXT
The Rangers now seek an at-large bid to the NCAA National Tournament. The 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Show will air Sunday, March 9 at 9 pm.
