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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Chandler edit 11.8
Peyton Rutkowski
FLC junior Katrina Chandler led all Skyhawks with 14 points in Friday's win over Western New Mexico.
59
Western N.M. WNMU 0-1,0-0 Lone Star
62
Winner Fort Lewis FLC 1-0,0-0 RMAC
Western N.M. WNMU
0-1,0-0 Lone Star
59
Final
62
Fort Lewis FLC
1-0,0-0 RMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western N.M. WNMU 10 16 18 15 59
Fort Lewis FLC 16 17 15 14 62

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

Skyhawks top Western New Mexico in 2019-20 season opener

DURANGO, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team welcomed back roundball in exciting fashion Friday afternoon, winning a 62-59 rollercoaster season opener against Western New Mexico University inside Whalen Gymnasium to tip-off the Conference Challenge.

Friday's matinee also marked the first career win for FLC head women's basketball coach Orlando Griego, a Durango native and 2003 graduate of Durango High School who took the reigns of the Skyhawks program back in August after being elevated from his assistant coach position.

"It's a great moment for me, but more importantly it's about the girls that we have. They've worked very hard in the offseason and we're highly invested in them," Griego said. "It's a great team win and that's what I told the girls. We all worked together and everyone did something, someway or somehow, to help us get the win."

Fort Lewis was able to take the early control Friday, owning a 16-10 lead after the first quarter and 33-26 advantage at the half, sparked by 10 first-half points from junior transfer and fellow Durango native, Katrina Chandler.
Chandler would finish with 14 points on an economical 7-of-9 shooting, adding four assists and two rebounds from the point guard spot.

"Katrina did a great job. We really wanted to bring her in and push the tempo," Griego said. "She did a nice job of getting her shoulders downhill and attacking the basket. She did a very nice job finishing. It's nice to have her."

The Skyhawks would build their lead to as many as 16 points at the 3:54 mark of the third quarter when junior Bailey Osmer cashed in a layup off an assist from fellow junior transfer Chloe Warrington to make it a 46-30 lead.
Western New Mexico wouldn't go away quietly, though, as the Mustangs closed the third quarter on a 14-2 run to trim the deficit back down to 48-44 entering the fourth quarter.

"Western did a really nice job of executing and getting up the floor. They capitalized on some of the mistakes we had," Griego said. "We were getting back in transition, but we weren't matching up with shooters immediately. There was some miscommunication on our part, but that should be an easy fix."

The Mustangs inched all the way back within one at the 8:33 mark of the fourth quarter at 52-51 before the Skyhawks reclaimed control with a 10-0 run that ballooned their lead back to 62-51 on a mid-range jumper from junior guard Sydney Candelaria with 3:44 remaining.

Candelaria shined in her 30 minutes of action, joining Chandler in double-figures with 12 points while adding a team-high eight rebounds and four steals.

"She's a hard-working young lady. We love having her and her toughness is through the roof," Griego said of Candelaria. "She has the ability to attack and score at will. Her confidence is great right now and she gives us a ton of energy."

Western New Mexico had one last gasp as it again made it a one-possession game with 42 seconds remaining. The Mustangs had a chance to tie, but a last second footer from WNM's Rachel Franscisco clanked off the back iron as time expired.

Fort Lewis dominated points in the paint 52-22 and finished with a 19-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. The team shot 39.7% from the floor in spite of an uncharacteristic 1-of-17 mark from beyond the arc.

"We've pushed rebounding, that's one of our points of emphasis for the year. We're not a very big team, but we know we can box out and control our effort on rebounding the ball," Griego said. We're actually a really good shooting team. Unfortunately, we didn't show that (Friday). But it's another credit to our girls that they saw we're weren't shooting well and making jump shots, but they kept their confidence and we got out and ran to make some easy baskets and pounded the ball inside."

Osmer and senior guard Kayla Herrera-Flores each added eight points to help pace the FLC offense, while Herrera-Flores also made key contributions down the stretch, defensively, for the Skyhawks as she took a pair of charges early in the fourth quarter when the game was in question.

"She came in and took a couple charges in that fourth quarter that were crucial for us. We needed defensive stops," Griego said. "That's what leaders do. They find a way to get involved in the game."

Fort Lewis will now look to carry Friday's momentum into another high-noon matchup on Saturday against Eastern New Mexico University to conclude the women's portion of the Conference Challenge.

"It's a good Eastern team that is well coached and discipline," Griego said. "They're going to pound it into the post, they have good size and some shooters on the outside. But we also do too. It's going to be a great game."

Saturday will also be benefit games inside Whalen Gymnasium. Admission will be free, while all donations on Saturday will go toward aiding former FLC women's basketball player and assistant coach Mary Rambo and her family with the continued medical care of their seven-month old son, Leland.
 
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