ALAMOSA, Colo. – For the second straight Saturday, the Adams State Grizzlies Men's Basketball team was able to claw their way back into a game against a tough conference opponent late, and for the second straight Saturday, their valiant effort would come up just short, as they fell to the Regis Rangers at home 99-94. The loss was the Grizzlies' second at home in the 2019-20 season, and now drops them to 4-9 in conference play.
The Grizzlies fell behind early, playing what was a mostly inconsistent first half, as they fell behind by as many as 17 early on. The lead did not intimidate, nor would it get the Grizzlies out of their comfort zone, as they forced the issue and scrapped their way back into the ball game. This was due in part to their terrific shooting night, as the Grizzly offense shot a lights-out percentage of 66.67% from three-point range in the first half to dig into the Regis lead in a hurry. They went to the half trailing by 6, and it became a brand-new game heading into the second half.
The Grizzlies kept the pressure on the Regis offense, who also had a big night with Toni Rocak (30 points) and Chris Little (21 points) leading the way. The Grizzlies maintained their foot on the gas pedal, going for broke from outside, and shooting nearly 58% from the field in the second half. They tied the score late, and it was anyone's game in a back and forth shootout. Unfortunately, Regis made just a few more plays in the ball game on offense, and prevailed for the five-point victory.
The Grizzly offense featured four players in double figures on the night, with shooters
Rylan O'brien who finished with 29, and
Logan Longo who ended up with 17 points, putting the Grizzlies on their back and shooting the lights out of the gym which got the Grizzlies back into the game. O'brien hit a career-high 9 three-pointers on the evening and was the offensive star of the night, with Longo alongside him draining 5 from deep. In total, the Grizzlies went 15-27 from three, which was by far their best night of the season. Regis was a worthy opponent in this area, as the trigger-happy Rangers hit 12 threes of their own to stay in front the majority of the way.
Guards
Juwan Green and
Szymon Walczak were the enforcers inside, each playing tough minutes to help the Grizzlies mount their near-comeback. Green had a stellar night, with 23 points on 8-12 shooting as well as going a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line. Walczak put together an impressive double-double with 18 points and 12 boards, also dishing out 6 assists. With no true big men on the roster, the Grizzlies relied heavily on their guard play on the evening, and they delivered as best as they could. Unfortunately for them, they would fall short of the victory despite big games from key players.
The Grizzlies who now sit at 4-9 in RMAC play, have shown signs of massive improvement, particularly in the shooting category. The question remains, is it too late to make a playoff run? With the Grizzlies back at home next weekend against Westminster and Dixie State, they now get into the most crucial part of their schedule, and will have to begin to string together wins in order to reach their goal of a playoff berth.
