Skyhawks Men's Basketball Game Day Notes - Dec. 9, 2014

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About the Skyhawks
Fort Lewis opened the conference season on the road at No. 8 UCCS and CSU-Pueblo.  Friday's 85-78 setback marked the first time this season the Skyhawks lost back-to-back games.  FLC rebounded to defeat the ThunderWolves in Massari Arena.  The win cut the Pack's all-time series  lead over FLC to 46-42.
 
Redshirt-freshman Rasmus Bach recorded career highs Saturday at CSU-Pueblo.  He notched career highs in points (18) and rebounds (8), and tied career highs in assists (5) and steals (1).
 
Junior guard Cade Kloster recorded career highs in rebounds on Friday at UCCS with seven, and a career high three steals on Saturday at CSU-Pueblo.  His 15 points at UCCS are the most he has scored this season (career high is 16). 
 
Kloster owns the second best assist/turnover ratio in the RMAC (2.4).  Junior Austin Halderson's 81.3 free throw percentage (13-of-16) is the eighth best in the league, and Will Morse's 3.6 assists per game rank 11th in the league.
 
The Skyhawks are fourth in the league in scoring (84.5 points per game) and fifth in scoring margin, out-scoring their opponents by an average of 8.5 points per game.  They also have the third best free throw percentage, netting 72.9 percent from the charity stripe (172-236), and the fifth best field goal percentage, hitting on 50 percent of their attempts (219-438).
 
FLC's rebounding offense of 39.8 per game is the best in the RMAC, and their +5.8 rebounding margin is the second best.
 
Senior center Alex Herrera ranks in the top in NCAA Division II in free throw attempts (first, 88), double-doubles (second, 7), total blocks (second, 30), blocked shots per game (third, 3.8), total rebounds (seventh, 87), and rebounds per game (10th, 10.0).
 
Along with Herrera's NCAA-leading 88 free throw attempts, he also leads the conference in defensive rebounds per game (8.4), double-doubles, free throws made (62), rebounds per game, and total rebounds.
 
Herrera had recorded six straight double-doubles to start the season, before having the streak snapped at CSU-Pueblo (seven rebounds).
 
Herrera has been named the RMAC Player of the Week this season three times (Defensive-Nov. 17, Offensive. 24, Defensive-Dec. 1).  In four years at FLC, Herrera has earned the RMAC Player of the Week award 12 times.
 
The Skyhawks hit the century mark in three consecutive wins against Texas-Permian Basin (101-97), Northern New Mexico (105-92) and Eastern New Mexico (104-72).  FLC has scored at least 100 points in three straight games two other times in program history: 1995-96 and 1990-91.
 
Herrera became the all-time blocked shots leader at Fort Lewis on Friday, Nov. 14 against St. Mary's.  Herrera broke Rich Hillyer's career block record of 208.
 
Fort Lewis started the 2014-15 season winning their first five games.  The last time the Skyhawks started their season 5-0 was 2012-13.  Fort Lewis has also started their season 5-0 in 2010-11 and 2009-10, including a 6-0 start in 1997-78 under head coach Chuck Walker.
 
The Skyhawks men's team earned 133 points and are picked fourth in the RMAC preseason poll.  For the second year in a row, Alex Herrera has been tabbed the RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. 
 
About the Grizzlies
The Grizzlies started their season off 3-0 at home before dropping back-to-back games on the road to CSU-Pueblo and UCCS.  ASU will play at Boise State Tuesday night in an exhibition game.
 
Travante Williams leads the Grizzlies offense with 16.8 points per game.  He also leads the team in made free throws (20), assists (15) and steals.
 
The top two shot blockers in the RMAC will face eachother Saturday afternoon.  Michael Middlebrooks is averaging a league high 4.0 blocks per game, followed by Herrera's 3.8 blocks per game.
 
The Grizzlies are out-scoring their opponent by an average of 10.6 points per game, and out-rebounding by an average of 9.0 rebounds per game.
 
Fort Lewis leads the all-time series with Adams State, 63-49.  FLC's three-game win streak against ASU was snapped last year on Feb. 1.  Fort Lewis is 32-13 all-time against the Grizzlies at home.