DURANGO, CO - February 29, 2008 - The Fort Lewis College men's basketball team defeated the visiting Regis University Rangers 86-64 Friday night in their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Shootout Quarterfinal match. The Skyhawks improve to 22-5 overall and are headed to Pueblo for a meeting with Western New Mexico in the RMAC Shootout Semifinals next Friday.

The Skyhawks opened an early lead in the game Friday night and opened a double-digit lead in the first 10 minutes. They scored 10-straight points in two minutes starting at the 11:09 mark. They finished the first half with a 42-24, 15-point lead. Ryan Johnson (Aurora, CO/Eaglecrest) and Devon Manning (Kirtland, NM/Kirtland) each scored nine first-half points.

In the second half the Skyhawks opened a 20-point lead early, but the Rangers cut the lead to 12 at the 10:21 mark. They once again opened a 20-point lead at the 6:25 mark. They concluded the half with a 22-point lead in their second-straight RMAC Shootout Quarterfinal victory.

Manning finished his career in Whalen Gymnasium with an impressive 27-point performance. He went 7-for-13 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds, three steals, three assists and one block on the night.

Johnson and DeAndre Lansdown (Albuquerque, NM/Sandia) each finished with 11 points.

The Skyhawks scored 25 points off 23 Ranger turnovers, while turning the ball over only eight times themselves. Fort Lewis also had 12 fast break points and 25 points off the bench in the win.

The Skyhawks, the top seed in the RMAC Shootout, play the Western New Mexico Mustangs at Noon on Friday, March 7th at the State Fair Events Center in Pueblo. Check out the up-to-date RMAC Shootout brack by clicking here. Stay posted the rest of the week for additional information on next week's RMAC Shootout Semifinals.

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