Written by Durango Herald Sports Staff:

January 22nd, 2010.  Silver City, NM. - For the first time in four years, the Fort Lewis College men's basketball team defeated Western New Mexico in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game in Silver City, N.M.

It took two overtimes.

FLC beat Western New Mexico 90-87 on Thursday night.

“We were down 44-29 at the half, then we got down by 18," FLC coach Bob Hofman said. “The last two minutes we started to play well."

FLC led 7-0 in the first overtime, then Western New Mexico scored nine consecutive points to eventually force a second OT.

FLC outscored Western New Mexico 15-12 in the second OT.

“It was excruciating," Hofman said. “Every time we kind of thought we had it, they'd hit a 3 and be right back in it."

Matt Morris, the Durango High School alumnus, “was sensational," Hofman said. The sophomore post scored a career high 28 points on 13 of 16 shooting, and he scored a double-double with 13 rebounds.

DeAndre Lansdowne “was his normal self," Hofman said. Lansdowne had 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the three-point win.

Matt Billups, the Skyhawks' freshman point guard, scored a career-high 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting for the Skyhawks.

“We got great production from a lot of guys we haven't got a lot of points from lately," said Hofman, whose team improved to 7-1 in the RMAC West Division and 13-3 overall.

“We played zone the whole second half. That was the only way we could guard them," Hofman said. “We gotta get better on defense.

“It was a gut-check game, for sure." 

Box Score

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