DENVER — It's time for the big dance.
This week, the Rattlers returned to the campus of Metro State University for the second consecutive year to participate in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament.
The Rattlers, after being defeated by Texas A&M International in the Heartland Conference Tournament, pulled down the five spot in the eight-team bracket. The Rattlers finished their regular season with a 19-8 overall record, going 12-6 in the Heartland Conference.
Matching up with the squad in the first round is the fourth-seeded Colorado School of Mines Orediggers. Game time is set for 9:30 p.m. (CT) Saturday in Denver.
The Orediggers come into the weekend with a 24-4 overall record, a 19-3 conference record, finishing second in the RMAC. The Orediggers are also currently ranked No. 13 in the nation.
Saturday's matchup will be no cake-walk for the Rattlers.
"They're a really well-balanced team," head coach
Jim Zeleznak said of the Orediggers. "They have size down by the basket that can score and have a lot of perimeter players that can score really well."
"I'm more focused on what we're doing though," said Zeleznak.
To come out on top in the first round, the Rattlers will need to buckle down defensively.
The Orediggers average 87.1 points per game to the Rattlers' 71.6 points and average 38.4 rebounds per game while the Rattlers' average 38.8 boards.
"They have guys with a lot of experience that do a good job of rebounding and a good job on the offensive boards," said Zeleznak. "How we defend and how we rebound will have a huge impact on how we play this weekend."
Coming off of a hard loss in the Heartland Conference Tournament, the Rattlers have been focusing on defense during their practices this past week to prepare for their regional competition.
"I have no doubt that our guys will be ready to play and ready to compete."
