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'Runners' revenge tour hits roadblock
Metro falls to Regis, rivals will meet again in Division II tourney
By Eric Lansing
lansing@mscd.edu

Photo by Amie Cribley • acribley@mscd.edu From left, forward Rae Bean, guard Stephanie Sauter, guard Danielle Ellerington, forward Megan Sinclair and guard Paula Bruzewski listens to head coach Dave Murphy after the game during Regis’ celebration.

The women’s basketball team’s “Redemption Road” to a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship came up short as they fell to Regis 76-62 in the finals March 4 at the State Fair Events Center in Pueblo.

Head coach Dave Murphy gave the playoffs the redemption title for Metro when they found out they would be playing CSU-Pueblo, who squeaked a win from the Roadrunners 52-50 way back in December on Metro’s home court. Murphy also knew that if Regis made it to the finals, redemption would be sweet for the 20-point beating his team took on Jan. 26 at the Regis Fieldhouse.

In the semifinals of the RMAC Shootout, the Roadrunners defeated Pueblo’s Thunderwolves 67-55 on March 3 at the State Fair Events Center.

Forward Rianna Harris led the way for Metro, as she scored a game-high 16 points and pulled down four rebounds. Harris was an inside threat for the ’Runners as most of her points came from within the paint. She also helped her team outrebound the Thunderwolves 44-33.

Metro guard Paige Powers found her stroke by knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 15 points. Nine points came within a two-minute span that extended Metro’s lead to 18 points.

“Every time we needed something, these two young ladies really stepped it up and either made a defensive play or a big rebound,” Murphy said of his two veterans, Powers and Harris. “Both of these ladies really enjoy big moments.”

The Roadrunners held a 44-23 advantage until CSU-Pueblo went on 21-6 run that was spurred by guard Mary Rehfeld’s back-to-back 3-pointers. The Thunderwolves had the game to within five points at the 2:50 mark after forward Lindsay Black hit a 3-point basket.

But Metro hit eight of nine free throws while the Thunderwolves missed six of their last seven field goal attempts in the last 2:36, as the Roadrunners outlasted CSU-Pueblo and moved on to the championship game of the tournament.

Waiting in the wings for Metro were the Regis Rangers, who defeated a talented Nebraska-Kearney team 79-71 in other semifinal action. Regis was the No. 1 seed in the RMAC Shootout after finishing first in the conference with a 22-5 record.

The Rangers made easy work of Mesa State in the first round of the tournament, scoring 104 points in the victory.

“The good news is, I don’t have to worry about motivation,” Murphy said. “When these two teams come, they come for battle, and there is a lot of pride on the floor in this cross-town rivalry.”

Motivation may not have been a problem for the ’Runners, but the lack of intensity was, as Regis pushed Metro around in a 76-62 victory in the championship game of the RMAC tournament March 4.

Metro’s offense never found its rhythm in the game, seeming timid and passive. Murphy mentioned that his team doesn’t have any superstars and that they work as a team and not as individuals. But against Regis, no one stepped up, and the team seemed too tired to play like the cohesive unit they were earlier in the tournament. Ellerington scored a team-high 15 points, but never managed to swing the momentum in Metro’s favor. The only person screaming and trying to get the team to raise their intensity was coach Murphy.

But after every play, Regis’ coaches, players, cheerleaders and fans stood up, screamed and chanted their support for the Rangers.

“I think (Regis) matched our intensity, and maybe they outdid us in terms of effort,” Murphy said. “We got outplayed during stretches of the ballgame where we dug ourselves into a hole.”

Metro carried the lead only once, and that was at 1-0 when guard Ashley Mickens made the second of two free throws. Regis forward Nicole Gross then hit a 15-foot jumper to give Regis a lead they never relinquished.

The Roadrunners came within five points of the lead, and then within two, but the Rangers answered each run with increased defensive pressure, forcing turnovers that led to points. Regis scored 27 points off of 17 Metro turnovers.

Murphy said overcoming the deficits was like climbing a mountain, and every time his team came close to reaching the top, a landslide named Regis pushed them back down. He added that it takes a lot of energy to come from behind, and his team came close to taking the lead a few times.

“I truly thought there was a huge disparity in the confidence levels today,” Murphy said. “When they jumped out early and got us back on our heels, I thought the confidence level weighed heavily on their side.”

Four players scored in double figures for Regis and two others scored nine. Forward Denise Lopez, who won the tournament’s most valuable player award, led the way for the Rangers by scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Guard Breanne Burley was named to the All-Tournament team and contributed 14 points and five assists. For Metro, Ellerington and Harris were named to the All-Tournament team.

The finals loss does not mean the end of the road for Metro, as they head on to the NCAA Division II tournament March 9 to 11. They will play as the fifth seed in the North Central Region and will once again take on fourth-seeded Regis in the first round March 9 at the University of North Dakota.