Rangers Take #1 Metro State to the Brink but Fall 78-71

Final	1	2	T
Metro St. (10-0,5-0)	34	44	78
Regis (3-6,0-5)	37	34	71
Denver, CO / Regis Fieldhouse

Metro St.	Regis
Pts: Demetrius Miller - 22	Pts: Jon Conley - 19
Reb: Jonathan Morse - 11	Reb: Breen Weeks - 7
Ast: Demetrius Miller - 2	Ast: Dionte Goodlett - 5

Team Statistics	Metro St.	Regis
Field Goal %	45.2% (28-62 )	53.5% (23-43 )
Rebounds	36	29
Assists	6	14
Turnovers	14	17
Pts off Turnovers	28	14
2nd Chance Pts	21	14
Bench Pts	20	19

full stats

Denver, Colo.: The Regis University men's basketball team took the top-ranked Metro State Roadrunners to the brink but fell to their cross-town rival 78-71.

Regis (3-6, 0-5 RMAC) jumped out early as they scored the first six points and led 9-4.  However Metro State (10-0, 5-0 RMAC) went on a 12-1 run to take a 16-10 lead.  They led 24-14 following a three pointer by Brandon Jefferson with 7:55 remaining. 

The Rangers could have folded but responed with a 21-4 run highlighted by senior Lance Korell's three long bombs in four possessions.  Sophomore Jon Conley put in six points during the span  that propelled the Rangers to a 35-28 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the half.

The half ended with Regis on top 37-34 and connected on 66.7 percent from the field.

Regis trailed by just one point, 55-54, with 11:22 remaining after Conley, who led the Rangers with 19 points, scored a layup.  Metro State scored seven in a row to take a 62-54 lead with 9:15 remaining and led 70-58 with 6:56 left.

The Rangers chipped into the lead but it was too little, too late and when the final buzzer sounded the Rangers were on the short side of a 78-71 score.

Free throws hurt Regis as they missed 14, 21-of-35, in the game.  Regis hit 53.5 percent from the field and 60 percent at the line. 

Junior Dionte Goodlett chipped in with 13 points but was just 6-of-13 from the line.  He led the team with five assists and was helped by Slobodan Jovanovic who came off the bench to score 10 points.  Junior guard Breen Weeks also dropped in 10 points for Regis, and had a season-high seven rebounds.

Regis will have almost two weeks off as they host Western State on Friday, December 30th at 5:00 p.m.