DENVER, Colo. – Frosty shooting hands plagued the Adams State women's basketball team, limiting them to just one successful shot from beyond the arc on Friday night at the Regis Fieldhouse. The No. 3 seeded Grizzlies fell to the No. 2 seeded Regis Rangers, 67-47, in the first semifinal match of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Women's Basketball Tournament.
The defeat snapped the Grizzlies' ten-game winning streak, dropping their overall record to 24-8. Now, their fate rests on the impending announcement from the selection committee.
After co-owning the RMAC regular-season title, Adams State has landed at No. 5 in the final South-Central Regional rankings. These rankings serve as the basis for selecting the 10 teams from each region most likely to qualify for the NCAA Division II postseason tournament, set to begin on March 16.
The NCAA postseason tournament comprises 64 teams, with eight teams from each of the eight Division II regions. The South-Central Region consists of 15 RMAC teams and 16 teams from the Lone Star Conference. The final 64-team bracket will be unveiled during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 10, at 8:30 p.m. (MT) on www.ncaa.com.
The Grizzlies struggled immensely from long-range, managing just 1-of-21 (4.8 percent) from beyond the arc, while their overall field goal percentage languished at 29.7 percent (22-of-74).
Elaina Watson emerged as the standout player for the Grizzlies, tallying 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, in addition to six steals.
The first quarter witnessed the Grizzlies' offensive woes as they mustered a season-low six points in the first quarter. Their shooting was abysmal, connecting on merely three of their 21 attempts, including seven missed three-pointers. However, defensively, they held the Rangers to just 12 points.
In the second quarter, the Rangers extended their lead, restricting Adams State to a mere five points on a 2-of-15 shooting display. The halftime score stood at 23-11 in favor of the Rangers.
Although Adams State showed signs of resurgence early in the second half, scoring the first six points, the Rangers swiftly countered, outscoring them 24-21 in the quarter, pushing the lead to 15 points, 47-32.
Despite a commendable defensive effort with 16 steals collectively, resulting in 21 turnovers forced, the Grizzlies were outrebounded by a staggering 29, with the Rangers dominating the boards 59-30, leading to 13 second-chance points.
Up Next
The Grizzlies now await the selection committee's verdict to ascertain their fate in the NCAA Division II Tournament, potentially marking their second appearance in history (previously in 2010-11).
