DENVER, Colo. – The Regis Rangers have only lost to one opponent in the 2025 calendar year and that team is Black Hills State, as the Yellow Jackets complete the season sweep of one of the hottest teams in the league with a 77-62 victory in Regis Field House on Saturday afternoon. BHSU handed RU losses on either side of their 10-game win streak, beating them in the first game following winter break and today to end the streak. After a back-and-forth opening 15 minutes, Black Hills State used a 10-3 scoring run to take the lead at the halftime break and went on to shoot the ball 51.5 percent in the second half en route to building a double digit lead as they coasted to the win.
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 77, Regis 62
Team Records: Black Hills State 14-10 (10-6 RMAC), Regis 15-9 (13-3 RMAC)
Attendance: 134
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Regis took advantage of a slow start offensively for Black Hills State as a left-handed floater in the paint by Kobe Sanders made it a 7-2 game with 18:21 to play in the first half. Then ending a more than two minute scoring drought for the Yellow Jackets and getting the offense on track was a left-wing 3-pointer by Caelin Hearne as he took a dribble handoff from Jack Haggett. The ensuing possession Jaeton Hackley evened the score at seven apiece with a quick transition layup with 16:04 on the clock.
- Following corresponding 5-0 runs by the two teams, the game was tied at 12 all and 14 all before BHSU took their first lead of the contest as Hackley took advantage of the offensive rebound and kick-out pass by Joel Speckman, hitting a left-wing 3-pointer to make it a 17-16 game with 10:01 to play in the opening half.
- The Yellow Jackets and Rangers traded the lead four more times in the first half before BHSU took control late as a bank shot from the right elbow by Hearne off the Speckman assist gave the Green & Gold the lead for good at 27-26 with 4:27 to play in the half. The bucket sparked a 10-3 run to close the half as BHSU went 4-of-4 from the field and held RU scoreless the final 3:33 of game time en route to a 35-29 advantage entering the locker room.
- The run continued into the second half as a layup by Speckman and a 2-handed dunk by Cam Lowe on a fastbreak forced a timeout by Regis as the lead grew to double digits (39-29) just over a minute in. A few minutes later Speckman converted an and-one to push the lead to 14 points (46-32) and capped the rally at 21-6 over a span of 7:23 of game time. The run eventually ended as the Rangers made their first field goal of the second half on a pull up jumper in the paint by Trey Bryant with 14:23 to play in the game, ending a stretch of 9:10 of game time as they hadn't made a basket from the field since 3:33 remained in the first half.
- An and-one for Jalen Brown trimmed the Yellow Jacket lead to single digits (46-38) with 13:20 remaining in the game before a turnaround jumper in the paint by Tristan Hurdle, ending a nearly four minute scoring drought for BHSU. During the sequence a top of the key 3-pointer by Brown brought Regis to within seven (48-41) with 12:50 on the clock, however, that would be the closest they would get the remainder of the game as a 20-6 run for Black Hills State put the game out of reach. Sparking the run for the Yellow Jackets was a layup by John Shanklin as Hearne found him in the middle of the paint with 12:29 on the clock, while capping the run and giving the Green & Gold their largest lead of the day at 21 points (68-47) was Hurdle who sank a right-wing 3-pointer off an assist from Speckman with 5:10 left to play.
- The Rangers ended the game by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 15-9 in the final five minutes of action, as a left-handed layup by Bryant brought the final score to 77-62 in favor of BHSU.
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Caelin Hearne: 20 points, 4-of-7 3-pointers, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Cam Lowe: 17 points, 8-of-17 field goals, 11 rebounds
Jaeton Hackley: 13 points, 5-of-10 field goals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
UP NEXT
Black Hills State remains on the road next week as they visit Westminster on Thursday, February 20, for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in the Behnken Field House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
