LAKEWOOD, CO - December 8, 2007 - The Fort Lewis College men's basketball team fell to host Colorado Christian 80-76 Saturday night in their second Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) contest of the season. The Skyhawks fall to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC, while the Cougars improve to 4-3 on the season and 2-0 in conference action.

Despite scoring 49 second-half points and cutting a 16-point halftime lead to two with 8:14 left in the second half, the Skyhawks couldn't overcome a stellar performance by the hosting Cougars.

Colorado Christian scored 18 of the first 26 points to open an early 18-8 lead just four-minutes and 30-seconds into the first period. The Cougars continued shooting hot and holding the Skyhawks to 0-of-10 from beyond the arch in the first half. The Cougars then went on an 8-0 run in the final 3:32 of the first half to hold a 16-point lead heading to the break.

The Cougars hit a three-pointer coming out of the break to open their largest lead of the game, 19. The Skyhawks cut the lead to ten with 11:45 remaining in regulation. Their assuing 8-0 run in which Ryan Johnson (Aurora, CO/Eaglecrest) scored two three-pointers and a jumper, brought the game as close as two. The Cougars then went on their own 7-0 run to seal the game for good.

Johnson led the Skyhawks with 18 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from the line. Ryan Jameson (Durango, CO/Durango) added 14 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Devon Manning (Kirtland, NM/Kirtland) finished with 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Tim Crowell (Long Beach, CA/Cincinnati) led the team with five rebounds and added nine points.

The Skyhawks were out-rebounded 37 to 22, but recorded 12 fewer turnovers (11-23) on the night. The Skyhawks shot 49.2% from the field, while the Cougars shot 55.8%. The Skyhawks finished 8-for-26 from beyond the arch, compared to 14-for-30 by the Cougars.

The Skyhawks return to action Saturday, December 15th at 8:00 p.m. in the Whalen Athletic Center against Nebraska-Kearney. The game can be heard live on KIUP 930 AM or online at www.radiodurango.com. Live Stats for the game can be found at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/fortlewis/mbball/.

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