Box Score
DURANGO, Colo. — Seven players scored in double figures as No. 14 Fort Lewis (23-4 overall) dominated Colorado Christian (13-16) 96-64 tonight in the quarterfinals of the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout tonight in Whalen Gymnasium.
“It's our balance. We spread the ball really well and get everybody involved,” said seventh-year FLC head coach Mark Kellogg. “That's the strength of our team.”
Dana Schreibvogel, who was a unanimous choice on the All-RMAC first team earlier today, led the way with 16 points and six rebounds.
Jamie Simmons, a third team All-RMAC pick, added 14 points and seven caroms, while
Katerina Garcia scored 14 points and added seven assists.
Jenna Santistevan, a second team all-conference honoree, had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, adding four blocks and three steals on the defensive end.
Alex Easterbrook (12 points, five assists),
Erika Richards (11 points, four assists) and
Mary Rose Paiz (10 points) also scored in double digits.
“Over the last three-game homestand, we got things going offensively,” said Kellogg. “Roles have been defined and they're doing a great job of playing their roles.”
Fort Lewis jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two minutes before watching the Cougars go on a 9-0 run over the three minutes.
“We started off great in the first two minutes and then kind of let them right back in it,” said Kellogg. “Finally, we settled in.”
Early substitutions of Easterbrook and Simmons swung momentum back to the Skyhawks.
“I thought Alex was really good and Jamie got it going inside,” said Kellogg.
The duo entered the game with the Skyhawks trailing 15-14. Four minutes later, Fort Lewis had gone on a 13-0 run to take control of the game.
A 30-foot, desperation three-pointer by Garcia as the shot clock expired with 2:49 left in the half may have been the final dagger into CCU's heart, putting FLC on top 42-23. The Skyhawks led 44-30 at intermission and the Cougars would trim the lead to no fewer than a dozen points during the second stanza.
Fort Lewis dominated every aspect of the game. FLC shot 55.2 percent from the field (37 of 67), 45.5 percent from behind the arc (five of 11) and a blistering 85 percent from the line (17 of 20). The Skyhawks dished off 26 assists and notched 14 steals while forcing 21 CCU turnovers.
Colorado Christian, in contrast, shot just 34.5 percent from the field (20 of 58) and 38.1 percent from the line (eight of 21).
Two things that plagued the Skyhawks earlier this season — turnovers and rebounds — worked out in FLC's favor tonight.
“I thought we cleaned up the rebounds tonight and did a good job of keeping them from getting offensive rebounds,” said Kellogg. “We did a pretty good job eliminating turnovers.”
Fort Lewis won the rebounding battled 43-28, limiting the Cougars to just seven offensive boards. The Skyhawks also committed just 17 turnovers.
Kelsie Hert led the Cougars with 16 points, while Bre McBeth added 15. RMAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Christina Whitelaw had 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals, but struggled with ball control, committing eight turnovers.
Fort Lewis' four four-year seniors —
Stephanie Beeman, Paiz, Santistevan, and Schreibvogel — finished their home careers with a 57-1 record (.983).
“You talk about protecting your home court. To go four years and only lose one home game is a tremendous accomplishment for those kids,” said Kellogg.
Second-seeded Fort Lewis advances to the RMAC Shootout semifinals, where they'll face sixth-seeded UC-Colorado Springs (16-12), who upset third-seeded Colorado State-Pueblo 61-58 tonight. Tipoff for Friday's semifinal game is 7:30 p.m. at the Colorado State Fair Events Center in Pueblo.
The Skyhawks and Mountain Lions split their season series this year, with each winning on their own home court. FLC won 71-61 in Durango on Dec. 2, while UCCS won 84-78 in Colorado Springs on Feb. 11.
