COLORADO SPRINGS – Janean Jubic sank an improbable shot with .3 second remaining to left the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to a 74-72 victory over the Regis Rangers Tuesday evening at the Lions’ Den.
With the score tied and 11 seconds remaining, Jubic broke a halfcourt Regis trap with a pass to Candace Thornton, who promptly returned the ball to a now-free Jubic. The 5-foot-4 sophomore dribbled down to the left baseline but was cut off by 5-foot-11 Stevi Seitz. With the clock nearly expired, she launched what could be called a 15-foot, fade-away, off-the-ear, line-drive jumper that went in.
Tonya Tripp celebrated her final home game as a Mountain Lion with a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with her 17 points. Nancy Hoist also had 17 points for UCCS (11-16, 5-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). It was also the final home game for fellow seniors Emily Jenkins and Stacy LaBuhn.
The Mountain Lions shot 54 percent from the field, their second-highest mark of the season, and outrebounded the Rangers 39-22.
The Mountain Lions trailed by as many as eight in the second half, but an 11-3 UCCS run sparked by 3-pointers by Mallory Lowe and Thornton tied the game, 54-54 with 10:33 remaining, for the first time since the 12:48 mark of the first half.
It wouldn’t be the final tie, though. The teams knotted the score seven more times before two Jubic free throws gave UCCS a 70-68 lead with 1:08 remaining. Paulina Tuell made one of her two free throws to cut the lead to one before Thornton drained a 15 footer to increase the lead to three with just 19 seconds left.
Despite the unfavorable situation, Regis found an answer. Seitz drove hard to the basket for a layup with 11 seconds left and was also fouled on the play. Her free throw tied the score.
It also set up Jubic’s heroics.
Tuell led Regis (12-12, 8-8 RMAC) with 20 points, while SAeitz added 11. Breanne Burley had eight assists.
A Seitz 3-pointer gave Regis its largest lead of the first half, 26-13, with 7:48 remaining. The Mountain Lions were able to answer, scoring nine straight, five by Tripp and four by Alex Pitts, over the next 3:19 to close to within four.
A 3-pointer by Thornton cut the UCCS deficit to 28-27, but a pair of 3-pointers by Jenny Viera in the final minute helped the Rangers go into the intermission leading 34-29.
--This story was sent to FOX 21 News as a general press release from the Athletic Departments of their respective institutions--
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