ROCKFORD, Ill. - With the 8th and final seed in the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament up for grabs, the Regents welcomed the Aurora University Spartans to the Seaver center Tuesday night. It was a must win for the Regents, as a win would tie Rockford with Aurora for the final seed. A loss would essentially end any playoff hopes for the Regents.
The Regents jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead behind the shooting of junior guard Erin Ryczek (South Beloit, Ill./Hononegah). The lead continued to grow as the Regents saw their biggest lead of the game at 10-3. Aurora battled back through out the first half as both teams entered the break tied at 27-27. The key to the Regents first half was the free throw line. Rockford went 11-12 at the line while the Spartans went 2-2.
The 2nd half was a back and fourth affair as both teams traded baskets for the first six minutes of the half. Aurora saw their biggest lead of the game when they took a 40-35 lead midway through the half. The Regents then went on a 6-0 run capped off by a pair of free throws by junior guard Sherrell Woods, (Rockford, Ill./East) to regain the lead at 41-40. Both teams once again traded baskets down the stretch with Rockford tying the game at 53-53 with a free throw from junior guard Cierra Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./O'Fallon Township) with 48 seconds remaining. The Regents had a chance for the win but Johnson's jump shot rimmed out with 7 seconds remaining as the game headed to overtime.
Aurora got on the board first in overtime with a pair of free throws and it was all Regents from that point on. The Regents scored 5 unanswered points in overtime as they came away with a 60-55 victory. The Regents were led by Ryczek who finished with a team-high 14 points and 12 rebounds. Cierra Johnson scored 12 points to go with 3 steals and 4 rebounds. Junior forward Jessica Bjerning (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein) just missed a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds.
The Regents are currently the 8th seed in the NAC Tournament holding the tie-breaker over Aurora with two NAC games remaining. The Regents will host Edgewood College February 9 with tip-off set for 2:00 PM. The Regents will be teaming up with Play 4 Kay in an effort to help fight breast cancer. All fan are encouraged to wear black to the game as the Regents will be sponsoring a blackout.
