Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Matt Morris scored a career-high 35 points as Fort Lewis (12-10 overall, 10-8 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) rallied in the second half to defeat UC-Colorado Springs (7-17, 6-12) 66-60 tonight at the Gallogly Events Center.

“Matt Morris was terrific,” said 16th-year FLC head coach Bob Hofman. “He carried us and we couldn't ask for more.”

Morris went 13-of-19 from the field and 9-of-14 from the line while pulling down 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.

He was the lone Skyhawk to score in double digits. Matt Billups and Mike Matthews each added nine points.

“We didn't play great,” said Hofman. “I thought we left a lot of emotion on the floor last night (a 77-73 loss at Colorado State-Pueblo that saw FLC blow a 15-point lead in the final 10 minutes). They (UCCS) actually missed a couple of easy shots and we got kind of lucky down the stretch.”

Still, Fort Lewis did something it hadn't done in RMAC play this year: win a close game. Fort Lewis entered tonight's contest 0-6 in league contests decided by five points or fewer.

It wasn't easy. Fort Lewis led 26-20 with less than five minutes remaining in the first half, only to see UCCS reel off a 14-0 run over the next three minutes – something that was eerily similar to the 16-0 spurt by Colorado State-Pueblo last night in the second half. Morris' two free throws with 1:31 left in the frame ended the run and sent FLC into the locker room trailing 34-28.

The Skyhawks fought back in the second half, taking a 43-42 lead on a Matthews three-point bomb with 13:45 remaining. FLC held the lead for nearly seven minutes before UCCS' Kyle Clark hit a jumper with 4:41 left on the clock to put the Mountain Lions up 56-54.

It would be the last time the Skyhawks would trail, as FLC went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes. First, Morris had an offensive rebound and putback. Then Billups had a fastbreak layup and a midrange jumper on successive possessions. Marcus Ayala buried a pair of free throws.

UC-Colorado Springs could get no closer than a two-possession game in the final two minutes.

“I thought in the second half we responded,” said Hofman.

Darius Pardner led the Mountain Lions with 13 points, while Kyle Clark scored 12 and Alex Koehler added 11.

Fort Lewis hits the road again next weekend, with games at No. 4 Colorado Mines (20-2, 16-2) at 8 p.m. Friday and at Colorado Christian (3-19, 2-16) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“We know Mines is the best team in the league. We're familiar with them, and they're familiar with us,” said Hofman, whose team has faced the Orediggers five times in the past two years. FLC went 3-1 against the CSM a year ago, including wins in the RMAC Shootout title bout and the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Mines exacted some revenge in the form of a 66-65 win at Fort Lewis last month.