By Ryan Owens
Herald Sports Writer
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Free throws are of paramount importance all season long, and in March, they can be the difference between an early exit and a deep run.
Just ask Fort Lewis.
The Skyhawks were outscored 54-45 from the field, but outscored Seattle Pacific 23-5 from the charity stripe, marching into the NCAA Women's Division II Final Four with a 68-59 win over the Falcons in Tuesday's national quarterfinal.
“Once again, as we've said all year, our kids just always kind of find an answer,” FLC coach Mark Kellogg said.
The free throws were a byproduct of a Skyhawk offensive attack that placed a premium on getting into the lane, especially in the second half. Allison Rosel, an Honorable Mention All-America selection, and Abby Jackson, who scored all eight points from the line, were the poster children, combining for 14 of the 23 free throw makes for FLC, which outdid SPU in terms of free throw attempts 30-8 to improve to 34-3 on the year.
“We weren't attacking, and free throws were a big issue,” Falcons coach Julie van Beek said of the disparity at the line. “A lot of it was they ran too many sets, we didn't have backside help, and we were out of position.”
After an uncharacteristically slow first half, Rosel scored 10 of her 12 points in the second, including six free throws.
“I scored most points off of free throws, so I was on the attack,” the Central Region MVP said of her second half. “I got some rebounds and putbacks to help that out, too.”
Seattle Pacific appeared to have the Fort Lewis press figured out in the second half, storming back from a 10-point deficit to take a 52-51 lead with 7:04 remaining. But, as they are prone to do, the Skyhawks made a couple of adjustments following a timeout with 6:40 left, quickly regained the lead, and never looked back.
“We don't press to give up layups,” Kellogg said of his adjustments. “We were just a little out of synch. It was just kind of keeping the ball in front of us and contest shots.”
Laura Haugen was instrumental in regaining and maintaining the lead down the stretch for FLC. She nailed a critical 3 to put her team up 56-52 with 5:19 left, converted the front end of a three-point play with 2:15 remaining to provide a huge surge of energy and a 62-57 lead, and came up with a steal with under 50 seconds remaining and FLC leading 65-57 to essentially seal the deal.
“She does that a lot … She's a senior kid, loves those big shots, loves those big moments,” Kellogg said.
The Skyhawks' Katie Mackey, who led all scorers with 19 points, almost singlehandedly helped maintain a 31-27 halftime advantage early in the second stanza. Mackey scored Fort Lewis' first eight points of the half, helping the Skyhawks boost their lead to 37-32.
“I think the big thing was just attack and be on the attack,” Mackey said.
FLC would use an 8-0 run early in the half to balloon the lead to 43-34 before the Falcons began to claw their way back into the game. Melissa Reich was the catalyst in the final half for Seattle Pacific, scoring 13 of her team-leading 17 points in the half, including the bucket which put SPU in front for the final time.
“I was just more confident in my shot in the second half,” Reich said of her increased output.
Both teams struggled throughout the game to hang onto the basketball. SPU committed 22 turnovers, while FLC returned the favor 20 times. However, van Beek lamented the fact that a great deal of her team's turnovers came at poor times and while her team was in their usually solid half-court offense.
“I think our turnovers came at key times. … We dribbled into their zone a lot without ball reversal,” she said. “There was too much traffic, and we lost balls there.”
The Falcons finished the season 27-4.
While it may not have been their most technically flawless performance, the Skyhawks continued what's been a season to remember, marking it with their first ever Final For appearance. They'll take on ARKANSAS TECH/FPU WINNER in tonight's national semifinal at 5 p.m. at the St. Joseph Civic Arena for a chance to play for their ultimate goal: a national championship.
Box Score
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