COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Following the conclusion of the 2022-23 regular season on Saturday evening, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference unveiled the bracket for the 2023 Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
The Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team earned the No. 8 seed and will travel to Denver, Colo., for a 6 p.m. quarterfinal game on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at No. 1 seeded and regular season RMAC Champion Regis University.
The four winners of Tuesday's quarterfinal round games will advance to the semifinals on Friday, March 3 at the site of the highest remaining seeded team. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 4 with the winner of the tournament earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament.
Regis (22-6 overall, 19-3 RMAC) claimed its first outright RMAC title since 2006-07 following its 66-46 win on Saturday at CSU Pueblo in the regular season finale for both teams. The Rangers earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will host a rematch with CSU Pueblo on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Regis Fieldhouse.
CSU Pueblo (14-14 overall, 11-11 RMAC) earned the No. 8 seed in the year's RMAC Tournament and is the tournament's defending runner-up as the No. 4 seeded Pack fell 76-68 in last year's tournament championship game to No. 6 seeded MSU Denver. The winner of the CSU Pueblo-Regis game will advance to the semifinal round on Friday, March 3 against the winner of the quarterfinal match-up against No. 4 seeded Adams State (20-8 overall, 16-6 RMAC) and No. 5 seeded Westminster (17-11 overall, 15-7 RMAC), who meet on Tuesday in Alamosa, Colo., at 6 p.m. Those two winners will meet in one of two semifinals on Friday, March 3.
The ThunderWolves come into Tuesday's quarterfinal match-up with top-seeded Regis having four of its last six games to close the regular season with the losses coming at Colorado Mesa (74-43) and at home this past Saturday to Regis (66-46). Tuesday's game with Regis will the third meeting this season between the two schools as Regis won both games – a 75-63 win on its home court on Jan. 27 and a 66-46 win in Pueblo this past Saturday.
CSU Pueblo is making its second straight RMAC tournament appearance and 19th all-time appearance in the postseason tournament. Last season, the Pack went 2-1 in the tournament as they opened with 59-52 home win over fifth-seeded Black Hills State, before collecting a 61-54 upset of No. 1 seeded Mines and then suffered that eight-point setback in the finals to MSU Denver. The Pack are 27-13 all-time in the tournament and have won six tournament titles, which is the most among active RMAC schools. Nebraska-Kearney also won six titles during it time in the league. CSU Pueblo's most recent RMAC Tournament title came in 2018. The Pack also won tournament titles in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2016. In addition, CSU Pueblo has had two runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2022.
Tuesday's game with Regis will mark the 25th all-time meeting in the series as CSU Pueblo holds a 15-9 advantage in the all-time series. The Pack have lost two straight in the tournament and last met Regis in the postseason in the semifinals of the 2018 RMAC Tournament, a game CSU Pueblo won 60-58 in Pueblo. CSU Pueblo leads 8-3 at home and holds a 7-6 lead at Regis. The two teams have faced each other twice in the RMAC Tournament with both teams winning a game as Regis won 77-71 in the semifinals of the 2017 tournament in Pueblo and then CSU Pueblo won in the 2019 semifinals, 60-58 in Pueblo.
Meanwhile, Regis enters the postseason having won six straight games and 18 of its last 19 games to close the regular season with the lone loss being a 78-71 setback at Westminster on Feb. 4. Regis, who earned its first regular season RMAC title in 16 years, is making its 21st all-time appearance in the RMAC Tournament and the first since 2021 when they lost in the quarterfinals to No. 1 seeded Mines. Regis head coach Molly Marrin led Regis to the school's first-ever RMAC title as a player with the Rangers during the 2002-03 season. Regis is 19-18 all-time in the tournament and has won two titles with the most recent title coming in 2007.
Colorado School of Mines, who is the No. 2 seed in this year's tournament, concluded the regular season with a 22-5 overall record and an 18-4 mark in the RMAC. The Orediggers are ranked 17th in the latest WBCA/Division II Coaches' Poll and is the top-ranked team in the most recent NCAA Division II South Central Regional rankings. Mines will open the tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 28 with a quarterfinal match-up against Colorado Mesa at 5:30 p.m. in Golden Colo. Mesa is the No. 7 seed after closing the regular season by winning six of its last seven games to finish with a 13-15 overall record and a 12-10 mark in the league. Mesa has won five RMAC Tournament titles with the most recent coming in 2020 as the Mavs won back-to-back titles after also capturing the title in 2019. Mesa is 32-21 all-time in the tournament as they are making their league-best 26th tournament appearance, while Mines is making its 21st appearance and is 9-20 all-time in the postseason event.
Black Hills State (22-6 overall, 17-5 RMAC) earns the No. 3 seed in the RMAC Tournament as the Yellow Jackets come into the RMAC Tournament with the top defense in the league as they are allowing just 56.9 points per game. BHSU has won five straight games heading into their quarterfinal match-up on Tuesday at home in Spearfish, S.D., at 5 p.m. against No. 6 seeded MSU Denver (15-13 overall, 13-9 RMAC), who are the defending tournament champs. The Roadrunners closed the regular season by winning eight of its last 10 games but closed the regular season with a 61-50 loss at Adams State. Black Hills State is making their ninth appearance in the tournament and are 6-7 all-time in the RMAC Tournament and captured the tournament title in 2021, while MSU Denver is making its 23rd all-time appearance in the RMAC Tournament and is 19-17 in the tournament and has claimed three titles. MSU Denver is looking to be the first team to repeat at RMAC Tournament Champions since Mesa won its back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
Adams State (20-8 overall, 16-6 RMAC), who is the No. 4 seed, is making its first trip to the RMAC Tournament since 2011 when the Grizzlies fell 48-37 in overtime in the semifinals to MSU Denver. ASU, who boosts a defense that is sixth in Division II in forced turnovers per game at 23.5, closed the regular season winning seven of its last eight games, including collecting a 64-60 win this past Friday over nationally ranked Mines in Alamosa. The Grizzlies will host No. 5 seeded Westminster (17-11 overall, 15-7) in Alamosa, Colo., on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. Westminster has an offense that is 14th in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage as the Griffins are shooting 45.8 percent from the field. Westminster is making its fifth straight appearance in the RMAC Tournament and is 4-4 in the event, including finishing as the runner-up in 2020, Adams State is making its eighth all-time appearance in the RMAC Tournament and is 1-7 all-time in the tournament.
