Box Score
SILVER CITY, N.M. — Abby Jackson matched her career high with 21 points to lead No. 4 Fort Lewis (19-1 overall, 14-1 in the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) to an 87-60 win at Western New Mexico (1-19, 1-15) tonight at Drag's Court.
Jackson made five of nine attempts from three-point range to tie former teammate Erin Kerr (2005-09) for the FLC career three-point field goal record at 207.
"Abby got it going early and then we kind of forgot about her,” said sixth-year FLC head coach
Mark Kellogg. “She missed a couple early in the second half but got to the free throw line and got it going again.”
Dana Schreibvogel, who was named RMAC Athlete of the Month for January earlier today, scored 20 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing off four assists.
Mary Rose Paiz narrowly missed her fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Jenna Santistevan and
Ashley Kuchar each scored eight points.
The Mustangs, who sit at the bottom of the RMAC standings, hung tough with the Skyhawks for much of the game and trailed just 39-29 at halftime. WNMU's first half output exceed the 27 points they scored in the entire game against FLC in an 86-27 Skyhawk victory in Durango last month.
“We didn't defend very well the entire game, especially in the first half,” said Kellogg. “Offensively, we were taking good shots instead of making the extra pass to get a great shot. It wasn't our brand of basketball. We played at much more of their style than our style.”
Western New Mexico trimmed the lead to seven when Mariah Peralta's jumper cut the lead to 45-38 with 15:44 remaining in the second half.
Jaleesa Russell and Amanda Tucker led the Mustangs with 15 points each. Christa Kennedy added 11.
Three-point shooting kept WNMU in the contest. The Mustangs shot .533 from behind the arc (eight of 15) and were led by Tucker's four treys. Kennedy went three-for-three from long range.
Fort Lewis shot .484 from the field (30 of 62) and .800 (20 of 25) from the line.
The game was in jeopardy of being played, as a natural gas shortage in New Mexico closed the WNMU campus today. Natural gas service to Silver City was restored, though, and the game wasn't affected.
The Skyhawks travel to Las Vegas, N.M., where they'll face New Mexico Highlands (10-13, 6-10) at 6 p.m. tomorrow night in the John A. Wilson Complex. FLC defeated Highlands 66-33 last month in Durango. The Cowgirls lost 77-60 tonight to Adams State.
Fort Lewis remains a half-game behind No. 13 Metro State (19-1, 15-1), which defeated third-place Colorado Christian (13-6, 12-4) 63-44 tonight in Lakewood.
