Skyhawks Women's Basketball Game Day Notes - Jan. 5, 2015

January 9 - Home vs. New Mexico Highlands - 5:30 p.m.
Audio
Live Stats
Video

January 10 - Home vs. Western New Mexico - 5:30 p.m.
Audio
Live Stats
Video

About the Skyhawks
The Skyhawks started the New Year with a 77-59 win at Chadron State on Friday, marking their first back-to-back wins of the conference season (W, 74-67 vs. Western State on Dec. 21).  They fell to Black Hills State the following day, 59-52.
 
The Skyhawks 77 points against the Eagles were the second most scored this season (81 vs. Northern New Mexico).  Their 27 made free throws were the most made this season, and their 35 free throw attempts were the second most.
 
Mary Brinton's 21 points at CSC were the most points scored this season by a Skyhawk.  She also attempted 10 free throws in each game this past weekend, marking the third time this season with 10 attempts.  Her 12 rebounds at BHSU were also a season high, as was Kaile Magazzeni's 6-for-6 made free throw attempts.
 
Brinton was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season.  The junior forward averaged 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and netted 10-of-18 field goals in the road split against Chadron State and Black Hill State.
 
Brinton leads the league in field goal percentage (56.7, 51-90), ranks 15th in scoring (13.1 points per game), 12th in rebounding (6.0 per game) and ninth in blocked shots (8).
 
Five Skyhawks have dished out at least 15 assists this season.
 
Fort Lewis' defense is one of the best in the conference.  The Skyhawks are second in the league in scoring defense (59.1 points per game), first in field goal percentage defense (34.4 percent), and they are second in the RMAC in blocked shots (48) and steals (116).
 
Senior forward Kaile Magazzeni ranks fifth in the RMAC in blocked shots with 1.9 blocks per game (18 total), and she is 19th in the league in rebounding (5.4 average).
 
Kate Bayes' 25 steals (2.3 per game) are the sixth most in the RMAC.
 
The Skyhawks are returning nine letterwinners from last year's team, two of which are starters (Erin Curry and Kaile Magazzeni).  Fort Lewis finished the 2013-14 season 16-11 overall and 13-9 in the RMAC (third place).
 
Since adding the program in 1979-80, Fort Lewis is 495-449 all-time (heading into the 2014-15 season).
 
About the Cowgirls
New Mexico Highlands enters Friday's game in the middle of a four game road trip.  The Cowgirls lost both games in Denver last week to MSU Denver and Regis, and have lost five of their last six games.  They suffered their worst setback of the season on Saturday at Regis, falling by 30 points to the Rangers.
 
The Cowgirls are under the direction of Brianna Finch, who is in her first season as head coach of the Cowgirls.  NMHU has the fifth highest scoring average in the league with 65.1 points per game, but they are last in scoring defense, allowing 73.5 points per game (-8.4 margin).
 
Anngelina Sanchez and Giulia Simioni have started all 12 games for the Cowgirls.  Sanchez leads the Cowgirls offense with 14.6 points per game.  Simioni's 4.3 assists per game rank her third in the conference.  Four Cowgirls rank in the top 15 in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage.  Jenny Johnson leads the league with a 55.3 3-point field goal mark, after hitting on 21-of-38 attempts.
 
The Series vs. New Mexico Highlands
Fort Lewis has won 40 of 62 meetings with New Mexico Highlands.  The Skyhawks have tallied 16 wins in the last 17 meetings and are currently on a one game winning streak.  FLC is 23-8 all-time at home against the Cowgirls.  They have not lost to NMHU at home since Feb. 6, 2001, winning 14 straight home meetings.
 
About the Mustangs
Like the Cowgirls, Western New Mexico is in the middle of a four game road trip.  The Mustangs 59-47 win at MSU Denver this past Saturday snapped a five game losing streak.  WNMU enters this weekend's games with a 5-6 overall record and a 2-3 road record.  They are 1-3 on the road this season in RMAC games.
 
The Mustangs are averaging 66.5 points per game (fourth in the RMAC) and have a league best 58.5 scoring defense, just 0.6 fewer points allowed than FLC.  They are out-scoring their opponents by an average of 8.0 points per game.  The Mustangs also boast the league's best turnover margin (+5.18) and assist/turnover ratio (1.0).
 
Ashley Mitchell is the lone Mustang to average double digits in scoring (12.8 points per game).  She leads the team in made free throws (31) and made three-point field goals (18).  RaTanya Newsome leads the RMAC in assists (6.2 per game) and is tied for the most steals (2.5 per game).
 
The Series vs. Western New Mexico
The Skyhawks own a 35-16 series advantage over Western New Mexico.  Fort Lewis is on a one-game winning streak, but has won 16 of the last 17 games against the Mustangs, including 11 straight wins at home, where FLC is 20-3 all-time against WNMU.  The last time the Mustangs defeated FLC in Whalen Gymnasium was Nov. 22, 1999.