DENVER – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball turned a 15-point deficit with 4:35 to play into a 70-69 lead with 33.8 seconds left in regulation, but Regis University scored the final four points as the Mountain Lions (17-8, 13-6 RMAC) fell 73-70 to the Rangers (16-9, 14-5 RMAC) at the Regis Fieldhouse. Tori Fisher recorded her second double-double in the last three games with 15 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

The Mountain Lion defense held the Rangers to no field goals for the first three minutes of the game and built a 6-3 lead in the span with all the points in the paint. Regis put together a 13-3 run to build a 19-9 lead in the final minute of the first quarter before a layup from Tori Fisher made it a single-digit deficit at 19-11 at the end of the period.

UCCS halved the deficit to a four-point game with 2:26 left in the second quarter on a layup from Brittany Hernandez at 27-23, but Regis finished the first half with a 7-0 run to take a 34-23 lead into halftime. The Rangers committed no turnovers in the first half. Fisher led both teams with nine rebounds and led UCCS with seven points off the bench.

The Mountain Lions scored seven straight late in the third quarter to take the Regis lead down to five points at 46-41 with 2:11 to play in the period. The Rangers rebuilt a double-digit lead to 53-43 by the end of quarter with five points in the final 35 seconds.

Regis took its largest lead of the game at 15 points at 64-49 with 5:44 to play, and took it again at 66-51 with 4:35 to play. Fisher made three offensive rebounds on the next trip down the floor to keep the UCCS possession alive, and then went to the free throw line to start the Mountain Lion comeback. She made the first of her two free throws, and it was part of five straight points off of free throws for UCCS to pull within 10 points at 64-54.

Jennah Knafelc, who made the game-winner last night at Chadron State, made a deep three-pointer off the left side of the court to make it a 64-57 game. She made a block on the next Regis possession, grabbed the defensive rebound and was made two free throws after being fouled on the rebound to pull the score to 64-59 with 2:24 to play.

The Rangers broke the 10-0 Mountain Lion scoring streak with a layup 18 seconds later. UCCS went to the paint for its next six points with layups from Kelly, Fisher and Hernandez, and limited Regis to just one made free throw in that span, to cut it down to a 69-67 game with 66 seconds to play.

UCCS forced Regis to use all of its shot clock and Jen Vigil stole the ball as the clock was at 1 second to provide an opportunity to take the lead with 40 seconds to play. Knafelc made her second deep three-pointer on the left side to make it a 70-69 lead with 33.8 seconds to play.

Regis took a timeout to advance the ball past half court, and retook the lead at 71-70 with a put-back jumper with 13.4 seconds to play. UCCS used its timeout to advance the ball, and had worked the ball back underneath the basket before a traveling violation with 5.1 seconds to play. The Mountain Lions were forced to foul on the inbounds, and Regis expanded on its lead with a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds for a 73-70 advantage.

UCCS used its final timeout of the game to advance the ball again, and a three-point attempt bounced off the front of the rim as time expired. The Mountain Lions outscored Regis 27-20 and forced six Ranger turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Fisher led both teams in rebounding and added two blocked shots on defense. She made five of her seven shots from the field and five of her eight shots at the free throw line. Hernandez and Knafelc both finished with 12 points, and Hernandez made six rebounds. Kelly added 11 points to round out the top Mountain Lion scorers.

The Mountain Lions clinched a spot in their fifth straight RMAC Tournament appearance after MSU Denver loss to Chadron State tonight. UCCS is currently sixth in the rMAC standings and one game behind fourth-place Colorado Christian and Regis.

UCCS will finish the regular season at home and will start the final stretch of the season on Friday, Feb. 19, against Black Hills State. The Mountain Lions won the first meeting of the season against the Yellow Jackets in a 70-60 win in Spearfish, S.D., on Jan. 23. Black Hills State (19-4, 16-3 RMAC) won 55-46 against Westminster tonight and remained in a tie for first in the conference standings with Colorado Mines and Colorado State-Pueblo.