DURANGO, CO - January 25, 2008 - The Fort Lewis College men's basketball team completed the sweep of the visiting New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys in an 104-65 blowout. The Skyhawks improve to 14-3 overall and 9-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), while the Cowboys fall to 0-18 overall and 0-10 in conference play.
Much like the women's game prior to the men's game in Whalen Gymnasium, the Fort Lewis men were no match for the visiting Cowboys. The Skyhawks took the lead right from their first possession and dominated the entire game. They never led in the game and scored over 100 points for the first time against an RMAC school since February of 2006.
In the first seven minutes and 35 seconds the Skyhawks scored 23 points and held the Cowboys to just seven. The Cowboys cut the lead to 11 twice the remainder of the half, but the Skyhawks closed the half going on an 18-2 run in the final 4:07.
The Skyhawks shot 55.3% from the floor in the first half, including 6-for-11 from beyond the arch and 15-for-27 from two-point range. Trent Bowman (Durango, CO/Durango) led all scorers in the half with 13 points on 3-of-5 from the field.
The Skyhawks pressed their lead to 40 just over four minutes into the second half and continued to space themselves as the half wore on. They led by as many as 44 at the 4:01 mark and concluded their 10th straight victory with a 104-65 advantage.
Every member of the game roster scored at least two points, while Devon Manning (Kirtland, NM/Kirtland) led with a game-high 23 points. The senior connected on 7-of-11 shots and 3-of-6 from three-point range. He added two rebounds, two assists and three blocks in the win.
Bowman finished with 17 points, a career high, two rebounds and three assists. Tim Crowell (Long Beach, CA/Cincinnati) and Ryan Johnson (Aurora, CO/Eaglecrest) combined for 23 points and each recorded four rebounds for the Skyhawks. Crowell added eight assists and three steals.
The Skyhawks scored 44 points in the paint, 33 points off turnovers, 18 fast-break points and 43 points off the bench. They shot 50% from the field (38-of-76), 43.5% from downtown (10-of-23) and 78.3% from the line (18-of-23). The Skyhawks current winning streak of 10, is the program's second best. The only longer winning streak came back in the 2002-2003 season when the Skyhawks won 12-straight.
Fort Lewis returns to action tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. when they host Western New Mexico in another RMAC contest. The game can be heard live on KIUP 930 AM in Durango or online at www.radiodurango.com. Live stats for the game will also be available at http://livestats.internetconsult.com/fortlewis/mbball/.
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