FLC vs ENMU box score
UCCS vs NNU box score
DURANGO, Colo. — Kyle Behrens and Matt Morris each scored 20 points to lead Fort Lewis (1-0 overall) to a come-from-behind 88-82 win over Eastern New Mexico (2-1) tonight in the George B. Boedecker Classic at Whalen Gymnasium.
“It thought we struggled a little bit defensively tonight, but our intensity was better in the second half,” said 15th-year FLC head coach Bob Hofman.
Hofman pointed to the defensive play of Behrens — who had seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals — as a key to the victory. “I thought Kyle's defense in the post when Matt was out [with foul trouble] was really significant.”
The Greyhounds led for most of the first half by as many as eight points, and held their lead until Daniel Steffensen hit a three-pointer 3:09 into the second stanza to give FLC a 45-44 edge — the Skyhawks' first lead since 17-16 midway through the first half.
Fort Lewis took control of the game over the next 10 minutes, building its biggest lead of 11 points after a pair of Steffensen free throws extended the margin to 73-62 with 7:01 remaining.
Eastern New Mexico went on a 20-5 run the next 4:26 to reclaim the lead at 82-78. The Greyhounds, though, went ice cold down the stretch, failing to score in the final 2:35 while watching the Skyhawks close the game out on a 10-0 run.
Steffensen, who finished with 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds and six assists, was huge in the final minute, giving the Skyhawks the lead for good on a three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining and icing the game with three free throws in the final 27 ticks of the clock.
“I thought Daniel's three was a key,” Hofman said of the bomb that put the Skyhawks over the top in the final minute.
Steffensen's last two free throws were set up by a Behrens blocked shot with 12 seconds remaining. Trailing 84-82, ENMU worked the ball inside to Max Carrier, whose short baseline jumper was rejected by Behrens, who was playing with four personal fouls, and rebounded by Steffensen.
Carrier led the Greyhounds with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Victor Reid (16 points, five assists), Stefan Mirabal (15 points, 3-of-6 behind the arc) and Michael May (11 points) also scored in double digits for ENMU.
David Kanyinda had a big night for FLC, scoring 16 points off the bench and spurring the Skyhawk comeback with three long-distance bombs.
Preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year DeAndre Lansdowne was held to just eight points, but helped in other areas with six assists and six rebounds. Newcomer Dorian Williams was scoreless in 22 minutes, but contributed four assists.
“I thought we got good minutes from those two even though they aren't 100 percent,” said Hofman.
In the night's first game of the Boedecker Classic, Northwest Nazarene (1-0) defeated UC-Colorado Springs (0-1) 76-65.
At halftime of the Skyhawk game, the Fort Lewis women's basketball team received their NCAA Division II runner-up rings. The Skyhawk women, ranked No. 12 in the preseason USA Today ESPN NCAA Division II rankings, face No. 4 West Texas A&M at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow night in Whalen Gymnasium.
The Boedecker Classic continues tomorrow afternoon with a matchup between UC-Colorado Springs and Eastern New Mexico at 3 p.m. and a finale between Fort Lewis and Northwest Nazarene at 7:30 p.m.
