by Eric Flores
DENVER, Colo. – With an 88-66 victory over the Metro State Denver Roadrunners, the Adams State Grizzlies extended their winning streak to nine games, solidifying their position in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Tournament en route to claiming a share of the 2023-24 RMAC Regular Season title. This is the fifth time the Grizzlies won the RMAC Championship and the first time since 1985. The Grizzlies won the title four times in a five year span (1981, 1982, 1984 and 1985).
The Grizzlies conclude the regular season with an impressive 23-7 overall record and an 18-4 RMAC mark. Tied with Colorado Mesa, UC-Colorado Springs, and Regis, the four teams have been declared Co-RMAC Regular Season Champions, securing the No. 3 seed after tiebreakers were determined.
During the game, Harmanie Dominguez led the Grizzlies with 21 points, elevating her to the No. 2 spot in the ASU Women’s basketball record book for points in a season, totaling 521 points. Dominguez went 9-of-14 from the field, including a 3-of-6 performance from beyond the arch, bringing her season total to 96 made three-pointers, tying her for the all-time record with Vera Jo Bustos, who achieved the same feat in 33 games during the 2010-11 season.
Angelline Nageak made significant strides in the assists category, moving up the season record list. Initially tied for sixth with Crystal Loch, who tallied 110 assists in 2010-11, Nageak’s four assists during the game propelled her to third place in the list, trailing behind Jocelyn Pardilla, who recorded 144 assists in both the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
In the opening quarter, the Grizzlies’ starters showcased their prowess by connecting on four field goals within the first five minutes. Despite this strong start, they found themselves trailing MSU Denver 10-9 as the game reached its first media timeout. However, adjustments made during the timeout sparked a remarkable 8-0 run by the Grizzlies, propelling them to a 17-10 lead with three minutes remaining in the quarter. Notably, Dominguez’s layup during this run tied the No. 2 scoring mark. As the quarter concluded, both teams combined for a total of seven three-pointers, with free throws allowing the Roadrunners to narrow the gap to just one point, 21-20, at the end of the first quarter.
Dominguez continued to dominate the game, contributing 10 of the team’s 28 points in the subsequent quarter as defense came up big in the quarter holding the Roadrunners to six points and the halftime score was 49-26. MSU Denver came back and outscored Adams State 24-16 before nearly scoring the opposite score, Adams State 23, MSU Devner 16 to close out the game with the win.
MSU Denver staged a comeback, outscoring Adams State 24-16 in a determined effort. However, Adams State rallied back, nearly reversing the score, with Adams State scoring 23 points while holding MSU Denver to 16 points to secure the victory as the game ended.
