Regents Notch 1st Win over Warriors

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Rockford College men’s basketball team closed their regular season with something they had not done in the five year history of the Northern Athletics Conference.  The Regents defeated the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors 77-67. Rockford’s first win over the Warriors since November 26, 2005.

The game’s first half was a tight one, with Rockford’s advantage ranging between four and seven points.  At the break, the Regents maintained a 38-34 lead on the strength of 55.2% shooting from the floor, including 4-9 from beyond the three point line.

The Regents came out of the locker room with the same intensity as they started the game.  Just seven minutes into the second half, Rockford had extended its lead to a game high 11 points.  The Warriors manage to cut the lead to two points with just under eight minutes to play, but a three pointer by senior Tyler Nauman (Hinckley, Ill./ Hinckley-Big Rock) and six consecutive Rockford points by senior Robert Malone (Stephens, ark./ Stephens) pushed the lead back to an insurmountable seven points with three minutes to play.

The Regents were led by Malone’s 30 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs.  His biggest basket came just one minute into the second half, when Malone connected on a three pointer to surpass the 1,000 point plateau, the 21^st Regents men’s player to reach the feat.  Fellow senior Taylor Stinson (Schiller Park, Ill./ East Leyden) added 14 points on 4-9 from three point range.  Freshman Tory Minnifield (Blue Island, Ill./ Eisenhower) added 12 points, eight boards, and four steals in the win.  Rockford shot 53.7% from the field, their second highest percentage of the season.

Rockford will travel to Lisle, Ill. on Wednesday to face Benedictine University in the first round of the NAC tournament.