Box score
SILVER CITY, N.M. —
Mary Brinton came off the bench to score 17 points and
Katerina Garcia passed for nine assists to lead Fort Lewis (11-8 overall, 10-5 in the
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) to a 74-62 win over stubborn Western New Mexico (3-17, 2-14) last night at Drag's Court.
“It was closer than the last time we played them,” first-year FLC head coach
Jason Flores said of Western New Mexico, which his team destroyed by a 66-37 clip in Durango last month. “I give them total credit. They played really hard and inspired and we weren't playing that way. It took us a little white to get going and it was a ballgame.
“The good part is we finally responded and did the things that we needed to do to win,” he added. A 12-point win on the road is nothing to be disappointed in.”
Brinton — a 6-foot redshirt freshman from nearby Pagosa Springs, Colo. — was an unexpected hero. She scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and grabbed a career-high nine boards, narrowly missing the first double-double of her career.
“Mary came in and gave us a really good spark off the bench,” said Flores. “She gave us a really good presence inside and we went to her. She was efficient in scoring. She gave us good minutes and good production off the bench and we really needed that.”
Garcia's nine assists set a season high and was just two fewer than the school record of 11 that she set in last spring's RMAC Shootout championship game against Western State. She also committed just two turnovers.
“Nine assists is a good number for her,” said Flores. “That really gets us going when she is able to distribute the ball like that.”
The Skyhawks shot a respectable 43.9 percent from the field (25-of-57) and 33.3 percent from behind the arc (6-of-18). Where FLC struggled was from the line. Fort Lewis made just 18 of 30 charity shots — a 60 percent effort.
“We did things to be able to get to the free throw line but weren't able to convert,” said Flores. “We need to be better than that.”
Despite FLC shooting over 48 percent from the field in the first half, the Skyhawks and Mustangs were tied at 34-34 at halftime. To its credit, WNMU was hot from long range, knocking down five three-pointers in the opening stanza and four more in the second half.
“They had some players who really stepped up and some kids who hit some threes that normally don't,” said Flores.
Three Mustangs scored in double figures, including Jelesia Gray, who notched a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Desiree Young went 4-of-8 from three-point range to finish with 12 points, while Morgan Wohltman matched her with 12 points.
Ashley Kuchar led the Skyhawks in scoring with 18 points, one more than Brinton. Garcia and
Alex Easterbrook each knocked in 12, with Easterbrook going 3-of-5 from long distance.
Thanks to Garcia's nine helpers, the Skyhawks notched 19 assists and committed just 10 turnovers. FLC outrebounded WNMU 42-36.
“We're happy to get out of here with a win on a long trip,” said Flores. “It's good that we got the first win on the road here. It gives us a chance to go in (tonight). We need to really focus and try to get another one (at New Mexico Highlands). We look forward to regrouping and getting back after it. We need to be better.”
Fort Lewis travels northeast to Las Vegas, N.M. for a 6 p.m. showdown with the Cowgirls (4-16, 4-12) tonight. The Skyhawks beat WNMU 78-58 last month in Durango.
